#I enjoy role swaps tremendously

[robininthelabyrinth]

for the fanfic prompts: au where wwx comes from the old and respected yiling wei sect and jc and jyl are the children of rogue cultivators (or maybe madam yu ran away with rogue jfm?), taken in by sect leader wei

ao3

"I'm going to strangle Jiang Cheng when I find him," Wei Wuxian announced. "No, don't try to talk me out of it. My decision on this is final."

"Mm," Lan Wangji said. He didn't sound especially convinced, but Wei Wuxian supposed he could understand and forgive that - after all, Wei Wuxian had been waffling for quite a while on what he was going to do to Jiang Cheng once he found him.

Because he was going to find him. That part was non-negotiable.

Wei Wuxian was going to find his stupid little shidi who'd never had a kind word in his poisonous little mouth, but whose heart was as soft as his tone was hard. His shidi who had always been so painfully grateful for the way Wei Wuxian's parents had taken him and his sister into their sect after his own parents had died so unwisely on a night hunt - Jiang Yanli had been visiting with them anyway, her chronic weakness having flared up, but Jiang Cheng had been who-knows-where with them at the time. He never talked about what had happened back then, and neither did he talk about what he'd endured the following year when no one had been able to find him as he slowly made his determined way back to Yiling, terrified down to his bones that Jiang Yanli had been thrown out as soon as the news had spread. He'd only been eight, and all alone, but he hadn't let anything stop him.

Really, Wei Wuxian should have realized long ago that Jiang Cheng would be inclined to do some completely insane if it was for the sake of Yiling Wei. Jiang Cheng's family motto had been attempt the impossible, far more ambitious than Yiling Wei's live true to yourself, and Jiang Cheng persisted in thinking that he owed them his life. And Jiang Cheng always paid back his debts, whether real or imagined.

Wei Wuxian was going to strangle him.

And then he was going to hug him and never let him go ever again. He was going to keep Jiang Cheng safe this time, and he was never going to have to see his stubborn shidi turning his back on him again, turning back to the burning mountain that needed someone with the key to the defensive array to hold down long enough to deceive the invading Wen sect into thinking Yiling Wei was still there. He was never going to have to lie there on that horrible talisman-powered boat, paralyzed by whatever poisonous concoction Jiang Cheng had slipped into their drinks at dinner as they'd debated escape versus staying to fight a suicidal battle, unable to do anything as Jiang Cheng saved his entire family at the cost of his own life...

No, that wasn't right. Jiang Cheng hadn't given up his life for theirs - he hadn’t. He'd been captured by the Wen sect, yes, and then he'd been taken away to who-knows-where, but there wasn't any proof he was actually dead. 

Wei Wuxian was going to find him. 

He was going to find him, and he was going to strangle him, and then he was going to bring him home where he belonged.

“You can strangle him too if you like, if you promise not to use that ridiculous arm strength of yours,” Wei Wuxian offered to Lan Wangji, who rolled his eyes at him. “I’m serious! It doesn’t have to be strangling. You can kick him instead…well, I don’t know. Do you Lan have ridiculous leg strength, too?”

Lan Wangji didn’t dignify that with any response.

Typical, really.

Luckily, Wei Wuxian’s mother had given him good advice – very good, since Wei Wuxian took after his eternally oblivious father in regards to romance – and so he just waited patiently to see if Lan Wangji was actually deliberately ignoring him or if he just needed some time to gather his thoughts.

(Or, you know, be shamed by his fine-tuned etiquette skills into responding anyway. This was apparently a strategy that worked really well on members of the Lan sect in particular, or at least on Lan Wangji’s uncle – and everyone always said that a nephew most resembled their uncles…)

“…I brought rope,” Lan Wangji said after a while.

Wei Wuxian blinked. Rope? Well, of course Lan Wangji had brought rope – they didn’t know where Jiang Cheng was, after all, and there were always situations where rope might be useful for climbing or marking a path or –

“To tie him up.”

Or that.

Wei Wuxian once again congratulated himself on having excellent taste in romantic partners, even if it had taken him his mother (and, more embarrassingly, his father) pointing out to him that what he was feeling was romantic attraction and not just, as he’d believed, an overwhelming desire to get Lan Wangji’s undivided attention and torment him into friendship.

(Wei Wuxian still couldn’t believe his father had dared to say something about him not getting it. That rotten hypocrite had asked his own wife on the eve of their wedding if she actually liked him like that! He didn’t get to judge other people for being a little slow on the uptake!)

Once Wei Wuxian had realized, of course, naturally he’d dragged Jiang Cheng all the way back to the Cloud Recesses with him to try to spend more time with Lan Wangji. Never mind his own initial obliviousness, once he was set on a course of action, no one could stymie him – he’d been sure he’d be able to win the icy Lan-er-gongzi’s heart, and sure enough, he’d been right! Even if exactly how he’d managed to do it remained mystifyingly unclear, the main point was, he’d done it!

It hadn’t occurred to him at the time that it was in any way odd to take Jiang Cheng with him.

It was Jiang Cheng! They went everywhere together, did everything together – they’d even been born only a few days apart, Wei Wuxian leading and Jiang Cheng following, just the way it ought to be, just the way it always was. Sure, Jiang Cheng grumbled and complained, but that was just how he was; Wei Wuxian would even bet that he’d left the womb grumbling rather than crying.  If he’d really objected to something, he would have just shut himself up like a turtle, refusing to engage, and there would be no force in the heavens and earth that could get him to come out, so, really, the fact that he came along meant that he didn’t mind, no matter his complaining that it was wrong to bring a third party on a date.

Wei Wuxian, for his part, had just felt that it would be even more wrong to leave him out.

That had been all that it was or so he thought. At the time, anyway.

He really was just – very oblivious.

And then there’d been that one beautiful summer afternoon when he’d finally cornered Lan Wangji all on his own and they’d ended up kissing for half a shi before Wei Wuxian had, rather unconsciously, said, “I can’t wait to see what Jiang Cheng thinks of this! …where is he, anyway? Wasn’t he supposed to come on this hunt with us?”

Lan Wangji had hummed and nodded. “He made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

“Mm. He thought we wanted privacy.”

Wei Wuxian hadn’t been able to resist a wicked smirk – they had, hadn’t they? Only…he wanted privacy from the rest of the world, sure; no one else was allowed to see Lan Wangji all red-eared and flustered, kissed until his lips were pink. But the rest of the world didn’t include Jiang Cheng, who had to see it: he would probably have the funniest comments to say about it, and if he didn’t see it, how would he make them?

“A mistake,” Lan Wangji had said again, and this time he sounded far more serious, serious and solemn. “He thought he was unwelcome, but he is not. By…either of us.”

That had been the first time Wei Wuxian had congratulated himself on his exquisite taste.

Truly, Lan Wangji was his soulmate. How else would he understand so well what Wei Wuxian had only just begun to realize for himself? That he didn’t just want Jiang Cheng by his side as his future right hand, but by his side, forever, in all things, even this?

Lan Wangji even had the good taste to want Jiang Cheng for himself as well. He was perfect.

They both were.

They were both perfect, and they were both necessary, neither one any less than the other, and once Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji found Jiang Cheng, they were going to beat that fact into his rotten head once and for all. And then tie him up and take him home and never, ever, ever let him go.

As soon as they found him.

Because they were going to find him, no matter where the Wen might have taken him. Even if he was in the depths of the Fire Palace or the depths of the Yunmeng ghost marsh, that stinking pit so full of drowned souls that even the fish couldn’t make it in, they were going to find him and bring him home.

Because Jiang Cheng was theirs.

[jvnluvr]

blue lock boys when you surprise them ! pt 1. ♡

ft. sae & kaiser x f!reader

(neo-egoist arc spoilers!! be warned)

author’s note: my last blue lock post got a lot of love and it made me more motivated, so thank you everyone! might do a part too where the roles are swapped, or with more characters. lmk by asking if you have any other requests. enjoy more bllk content, my lovely readers. <3

itoshi sae:

sae is gone a lot. you knew from the moment you got into a relationship with him that this would be the reality of your relationship. you loved him though, so even if you missed him tremendously, he would always come back home into your arms. there wasn’t much more you could ask for.

sae had gone to brazil for three games. it was a week stay, but it felt so insufferably long. maybe 3-4 days in, you were sick of being home after work not having anyone to go to or not having anything to do. so what did you do? obviously book a ticket to brazil yourself! to avoid suspicion, you told sae that you might not respond to his texts because you were going out with your friends and end up staying over at their place. (all your friends were busy that week.) but he didn’t catch anything!

you fell asleep on the flight, waking up to your landing. your heart was racing as you walked off into the airport. you’ve never really done something this grand before. surprising your boyfriend right before his game? god, you never expected to even set foot in another country for a while. all you could do was quickly rush to get a taxi, (you learned basic portuguese for this) and off you were to the stadium where his last game was being hosted.

quickly playing the driving, you ran inside. even if shidou was annoying, you thanked him for not revealing your plan to sae and helping you enter the stadium freely. “your boyfriend is a lucky one, yeah?” you could only nod in nervousness. why were you scared to see him? what if he just told you to go back home, what if he didn’t want any distractions, what if-? “c’mon he’s about to get on field, go!” shidou pushed you near the place his team was getting ready.

“hey [name]! sae didn’t tell us you were gonna’ be here.” one of his teammates grinned at you. you saw sae slowly turn around when he heard your name, an annoyed look plastered on his faces, thinking his teammates were tricking him for a stupid laugh. that was until he actually saw you, that his eyes widened.

“uh,, surprise sae?” he kind of just stood there for a second, not even being able to process the fact that you were physically standing in front of him. you only were able to feel dejected for a mere second, assuming he wasn’t happy to see you, that was until you were suddenly enveloped into a warm hug. and for a second, it felt as if you were the only two in the blazing stadium. “stupid, why are you here?” he whispered in your ear, not letting you go. despite his chosen words, his voice was filled with nothing but softness.

“cause i missed you, sae. you’re always gone, and even if i was prepared, it hurts not being with you.” you replied back. god no, you weren’t going to cry right before he went on the field. “don’t cry princess, i’m right here.” you were trying so hard to hold it in, but you couldn’t help it, he was with you, after what felt like an eternity. “thank you for surprising me, you’re the best thing i could ask for.” he kissed your forehead, still whispering so his teammates couldn’t hear the sweet nothings he reserved for you.

michael kaiser:

the ace of bastard münchen loved you very dearly. kaiser loved selectively, but the moment he laid eyes on you, he was smitten. truly, he tried to make as much time as humanly possible to spend with you but when blue lock joined the top teams, his brain had been haywire because of isagi. all he could think of was how to improve, how to crush him.

so naturally; with his brain occupied and all, he gradually started spending more and more time away from home to practice. sure, he still texted you sometimes and all, but you felt more lonely before than ever, since you were so used to kaiser being there to smother you in his love and adoration.

so when today finally came, the day where they would go up against barcha fc, it was him to finally prove he was a better player than isagi. he left super early that morning. he didn’t expect you to even try and leave the house because you studied from home, and he was going to be gone practically the whole day. to be honest, you really did want to go and surprise him at the game, but you couldn’t afford to skip class today. so you had to come up with something else grand to surprise kaiser.

so you went out after class, an hour before he was supposed to come home. you bought heart-shaped balloons, confetti, a cake, and any other decorations that you could drape onto the walls in your shared house. just before you were about to go back, you got a *ping!* from your phone.

ml michael: baby we won!!!! i’ll be home in a bit <3

you: congrats ! i’m waiting <3

you knew after that you had to rush home and get ready. gratefully your house wasn’t too far from the store. so you quickly unloaded everything from your car and put everything up in the living room, near the entrance of your house. “i hope he likes it, and isn’t too tired to just ignore everything..” you let out a slight sigh before continuing to finish up putting up the decorations.

you heard a loud engine outside and you would have been surprised if it was anyone besides kaiser. you quickly ran to shut off the lights before hiding behind the couch that faced the wall. the sound of the keys jingling as the door opened made your heart race as you held your hand over your mouth, not wanting him to even hear your breathing. “my dearest love, i’m home- huh? why are the lights off?” you couldn’t help but internally giggle at his insanely slow reaction time.

“[name], are we playing hide and seek or something? you know i’ll find you.” at that, you unintentionally rolled your eyes at his confidence. there’s no way he would expect you to be behind this couch, not to mention he hasn’t even turned the lights on- “found you.” you yelped as kaiser picked you up from behind, sitting you on his lap on the side of the couch.

“now, does my pretty girl wanna tell me why she was hiding behind the couch?” he kissed your cheek, and he swore he could see them turn red in the darkness. your entire plan? ruined. this really wasn’t the way you wanted to surprise him. “just wanted to surprise you, y‘know? you didn’t even turn on the lights silly.” kaiser gave you a confused look but nonetheless got up to turn them on. “surprise! and of course good job on winning your game today.” you smiled at him, but he just stared at you with the biggest heart in his eyes.

“you’re the cutest thing ever.” he lifted you up again and you wrapped your legs around him. “there’s a cake too, we should eat it.” you mentioned, totally forgetting that you set it out on the table. “i love you, liebe.” he couldn’t stop kissing you after that surprise.

[smytherines]

Alright. We know that Owen is trying to get Chimera's surveillance network up and global, to have "a world without agencies, a world without spies, a world without secrets."

We also know that the US government is attempting to do basically the same thing as Chimera.

Hear me out. What if it isn't that Owen doesn't care about exposing men like him and Curt. What if he's actually, in some weird way, trying to protect Curt? Or liberate him? Or at least, men like them?

Like maybe it started out as wanting to destroy Curt, as DMA he certainly wanted to kill Curt. But he didn't. I don't think he would've even if Tatiana hadn't rescued him. At least not from behind, without showing Curt who he really was first.

DMA was a role for Owen. He probably tortured a bunch of people. He probably even enjoyed it. He's kind of fucked up after breaking probably half the bones in his body and watching his partner run away before getting a building exploded on him. I think it's easier for him to be DMA than to be Owen Carvour. He is literally masking (autistic Owen headcanon for the win).

Owen has no logical reason to tell Curt about his plan or reveal who he really is after killing Von N*zi. The only possible reason is to get Curt to chase after him. So much of my Owen Carvour headcanon is based entirely on the acting choices Joey Richter makes during the staircase scene, because holy shit it is truly spectacular (obviously Curt Mega does an amazing job too, but it doesn't subvert anything about the character for me until the Big Reveal).

It looks like Owen has so much he wants to say, he has the gun on Curt for quite awhile just chattering away at him, but he's so furious and he hates Curt so much and he loves Curt so much that he can't find the words. He tries to be icy and distant and cold and condescending, but he looks... I dunno, incredibly sad? He's frustrated, like he cannot understand how Curt still worships all of this macho spy shit, working for a government that would destroy him for being gay.

My headcanon is that Owen wants to dismantle everything Curt ever believed in because what he believes in led to Owen nearly dying and Curt diving off the deep end with his alcohol use. Their governments destroy men like them, and having a surveillance network will only make that task easier. If Owen has control of that network, he'll be a God. Nobody will be able to touch him, or use his secrets against him. Maybe even somewhere in the back of his mind he thinks that he'd be able to protect them, as a couple.

Back to the acting choices, the part where Curt reminds Owen of their relationship, where he steps right into the gun and Owen lowers it (pointing it at Curt's heart, ugh) and he genuinely looks hesitant, he looks taken aback, like he didn't expect Curt to care about him or about their relationship at all anymore. And then he remembers what Curt did to him, remembers how much he suffered for Curt's hubris, maybe has a lil PTSD flashback of his own, and raises the gun back up and says "that secret died the night you left me for dead." That whole moment is just... a really tremendous acting job. He loves Curt, but he can't forgive him. He hates Curt, but he can't kill him.

It's a great scene on paper, but the choices they make here are all perfect. The staircase scene swap really drove this point home for me too, because actor Curt Mega is incredible, he nails the menace and the arrogance that are definitely part of that performance, but it's a cold read and definitely a different read on the character.

The thing that makes me an Owen Carvour apologist is how much emotion and vulnerability and uncertainty Joey Richter puts into the role. For an evil guy doing evil guy shit, he doesn't play it very arch. He does the menace and arrogance, but those aspects keep getting pushed to the background by the little breaks in his voice and the sadness in his eyes.

For me, the moment before Curt pulls the trigger, Owen looks almost... disappointed in him? Like he really thought that despite everything that has happened, that Curt would never choose to hurt him on purpose. I said it before, but it's like in some way he's still in the rubble waiting for Curt to save him. To care enough about him to save him.

I know how I interpret this show is based a lot more in acting choices and real-world politics and my political beliefs than it is in the text of the show, that this is a genre show with genre rules, but I really fucking appreciate having gay characters who were canonically in a relationship, who have enough complexity and are played with enough sincerity for people (me) to have long, involved headcanon about them.

(Also to be very very clear, actor Curt Mega does an incredible job in the staircase scene, the moments where agent Mega gets to be vulnerable and sincere are some of the best acting moments in the show and hurt every single time, when he steps into that gun I feel like I'm dying)

[jojo-schmo]

What’s been your favorite part of working on FL role swap?

(Sidenote I’m a massive Kirby fan and as someone who loves this series with all my soul, I am OBSESSED with this entire au so far)

Ohhh thank you so much for enjoying the AU!! Please allow me to answer this under the cut :)

The Kirby series is also extremely dear to me- my first Kirby game was Squeak Squad and from there I fell more in love with our little pink puff over the years!! This AU is my love letter to the series' lore, characters, and lessons it's taught me! Plus "What-if" stories are my favorite to make!

My favorite part of working on the roleswap, huh? Gosh, I'm enjoying so many aspects of it.

For one, this is the first long-term project I've taken on in a few years! I've always had a terrible habit of being too impatient with my art. I want to get to the end product so badly that I don't enjoy the creative process itself, and I burn out quickly. But it isn't the case now! I'm having a tremendous amount of fun planning out the comic. I've already learned so much and I've only drawn Chapter 1 at the time I'm answering this!

(Just as a sneak peek into the future: I already have the plot outline of the comic series planned from beginning to end. As of now I have about a dozen chapters of varying lengths written out!!! I hope you're all okay with me doing this for a while-! Haha!)

I'm also really passionate and excited about the story and exploring the character arcs. There's way too much negativity out there so I want more than anything to create something that can provide entertainment but also some optimism. Adventures have their own hardships and trials, and this story will have its highs and lows. But I want the message at the core of this story to be about friendship, family, teamwork, and personal growth!

So if you've been enjoying the AU and my other works, you have my deepest gratitude. I truly appreciate every single person who likes, comments, interacts, etc. If I can immerse even one person out there into this faraway adventure and make them smile once, then I am immensely grateful for the chance to do that. <3

I'll probably say this a thousand more times but I'll always genuinely mean it!! Thank you.

[makeminemarvel]

Namor week day 4 - Alternate Universe @namorweek

The alternate universe I have created is a role swap au! Meet the characters of the new story:

Dr Eden Kiesler- She's a glamorous lady scientist with 3 PhDs (physics, robotics and marine biology). Her hobbies include hobnobbing on the New York social scene and coming up with incredible inventions- she's respected in the first area but not so much in the other. In 1936 when she was on an expedition for that third paper, she met:

Prince Leo of Atlantis- Who was sent to keep an eye on the expedition and make sure nothing bad happens. He falls in love with Eden, he admires her beauty and brains and they love all the wonderful things they can teach each other. And so when the Atlantean soldiers come to take him back he's not happy. Neither is Eden, of course, so after she returns to New York she spends the next few years working on a secret project, a Neuro-functioning Anthropomorphic Marine Observatory Robot to explore the ocean for her and find Leo again- she calls him N.A.M.O.R for short:

Namor becomes more like a son than a machine to her. While working on him, she tells him all about how she resents her scientific work being constantly disrespected because of her gender, and how she wishes she could just learn and create all she wanted without the derision of academia. He in turn is enchanted by his creation's purpose- to reunite a pair of lost lovers. Their bond is why in 1939 at her big project presentation when speculation on the NAMOR's potential use for destruction starts right away, she helps him fake his "death" with a fire at her home. Namor would rather die than be used for evil. Since the NAMOR is supposed to be destroyed, he joins her in town masquerading as her nephew, William Kiesler. When this happens, he meets Eden's protege from when she taught robotics at the university:

Dorothy MacArthur, Doll to her friends. Doll looks up to Eden tremendously so when Eden decides she and Namor need a little extra help Doll is delighted to help her on her new mission. She, Eden, and Namor spend the next years on intermittent journeys across the world, exploring the ocean to find Atlantis, using Eden's university earnings as well as donations from her wealthy friends. After two long years of searching, in 1941 Namor comes across Leo, who recognises him as Eden's creation instantly. After Leo runs and grabs an air-breathing apparatus, Namor brings him back to the ship as soon as he can and the lovers are reunited once more. Eden decides to move under the waves with the Prince, but Namor decides not to go. He and Doll are going to go back to New York and help out with the war effort. Besides, now Namor's purpose in life is fulfilled, he has to find a new way in the world.

By now i'm sure you can tell, Namor had been swapped with the Torch, Fen with Leonard (as well as Horton), and Dorma and Betty have been merged. I just sort of have the outline of the story and characters here, but I have much more behind the scenes so I may expand it into a full story some day. I hope you enjoyed :)

[plusultranumber1]

My Thoughts on Your Name

I was happily surprised with how much I enjoyed the film, and I applaud its storytelling and emotional message. The film follows two star-crossed lovers, Taki and Mitsuha, trying to find one another through time and space, only connected by fading memories of living in the other’s place. The film touches on the traditional teenage romance themes of the power of love and youth, and also made homage to tradition and the natural world. The film shows that love and human connection transcends the surface and physical world, and that being in another’s shoes is the only way to truly understand someone.  

The film’s content matter has its focus on gender expression and sexual identity, as displayed in the swapping of places between Taki and Mitsuha. As the two live in the other’s life, people around them begin to question their clear change in behavior, which could be either advantageous or not depending on the social circumstance. When Taki is Mitsuha, he is seen as not ladylike enough by her father or too rambunctious by her peers, but also has an inspiring confidence and determination. When Mitsuha is Taki, she struggles with his busy lifestyle but her calm and vulnerable feminine nature attracts Miss Okudera. In relation to Foucalt’s writing, hegemonic powers in our world produce immense pressure for individuals to display heteronormative behavior. In learning how to fulfill and perform the other gender’s role, the characters struggle to perform properly, which is echoed in Foucalt’s writing that hegemonic powers in our world produce immense pressure for individuals to display heteronormative behavior.

The film heavily commentates on the tremendous power of love. Through the journey that Mitsuha and Taki both take, the film shows that love goes deeper than the surface. Even without knowing each other’s names and forgetting the past they shared, the connection between the pair never faded. The film teaches that love can not be possessed, but is rather a feeling that comes with one does not possess but instead is a feeling that spawns from hard work and investment in one another on behalf of the two people. Other more subtle themes the film discussed were tradition vs change, in which both Taki and Mitsuha abandon their roots in search of connection and love. Another observation I noticed was when the adults refused to heed the warnings of imminent danger from the children. This could be referencing older generations unwillingness to listen or acknowledge the younger generations' grievances about the damage to the ecological systems. 

[alexisr294]

MY TOP 10 STEVEN AUS (Updated)

For the following of this top ten list, I'll be using random images to present each AU since reposting one's artwork is not allowed. So without further ado, let's get down to business.

10. Rose Never Leaves AU by @nereamerayo (aka @arrozbrillante)

While this AU is slightly well-known, it does seem intriguing to picture how and what the SU life would be like if Rose hadn't gave up her physical form to give birth to Steven. For my perspective, it does bring out a bit of development into the most hated pink character. (FYI, I'm not one of those fans who despises Rose)

9. Fantasy AU by @artifiziell

Before @cynthi-universe's Rogue AU existed, there was this AU first. The creator who made this really went far out on this by switching the show's genre and transforming these alien characters into fantasy-like creatures based on their powers, personalities or whichever style fits them perfectly. Even I was amazed to see Lion as a giant manticore.

https://artifiziell.tumblr.com/tagged/fantasy-au

8. Coraline AU by @nicorii

While this may be considered as a film crossover to some people, I still count this as an AU. Seeing as how the title character has experience a lot of heavy stuff, it does seem fitting for Steven to be Coraline, As for the other characters, their roles in this AU are accurately suitable.

7. Listen All Night Long AU by @suf-fering & @universallywriting

According to Rebecca Sugar, she has watched many Disney movies and added some references in the show. But I never imagine someone would go far and beyond to create this lovely AU. The story itself was written by @universallywriting. I haven't got the chance to read the chapters yet but I have to say the illustrations are very beautiful.

6. Gone Wrong by @spudinacup

This is not your ordinary comic for kids. Based on the SU movie, this AU's story is told in a whole new yet very dark direction. Whereas Spinel kills Steven instantly with her rejuvenator rather than having to revert his physical form. Although his gem is safe from harm, not only does it reform into pink Steven but also its gem powers remain futile. I hope to find out where the rest of the story goes until we hear word from the creator of this AU.

5. Crystal Clarity AU by Sergeant Plopp & @cnv99

There are other blogs with Blue Diamond AUs like @teamfadedblue & @blue-diamond-steven. But I believe the best one has to be the blog titled @blueswapuniverse. While the blog and the illustrations are made by CNV99, the story itself was written by Sergeant Plopp. Since her appearance in Steven's Dream, Blue Diamond was shown to be nearly nurturing and compassionate as Rose. Not to mention, having a tremendous grief over the loss of Pink Diamond. In which Greg shared his feelings about losing someone whom he once loved. This had many fans wondering how or what it would be like if Blue and Greg fallen in love and she, instead of Rose, gave birth to Steven. In fact, this AU was made back in 2017, a year before A Single Pale Rose was released. So technically, this was no coincidence.

4. Yellow Diamond Steven AU by @stevenyellowdiamonduniverse (aka @matsuthemoth)

This indeed is the best Yellow Diamond AU I've ever enjoyed. Now here's what I know about this AU so far. It's sort of like the mom swap AU made by @sketchedatrocities (aka Comedic Interlude) but Steven is the son of Yellow Diamond. Too bad, this AU sadly ended at a cliffhanger because the creator claimed their hand was injured and must require surgery. Little did I found out, the blog for this AU was deleted from Tumblr. But that's not to say the posts for this story are gone completely. You can still find them on Tapas.

After waiting two years, the creator posted a drawing of this AU's Nora on Tapas about 3 months ago. Could this mean they're back in business? Have a little more patience and we'll see.

3. Gem Kids AU by @bananimationofficial

This is one of those ageswap AUs in which the gems start off as actual kids after they were made. During the very first comic issues, I found it interesting when it began with Pink heading off to Earth with Pearl and Garnet. But when it reached to the actual story point, I soon found it very pleasing because not only does it stay true to the main series but it also gives the characters the experience of what is like to be a youngster or an adult. Unfortunately the creator claimed to have ended her AU at a very disappointing note. Just when Season 2 was already starting. I really enjoyed the illustrations, but if you ever want to check them out again, feel free to check out the blog (@gemkidsau).

2. Bad Prediction AU by @jigokuhana

Is this an alternate universe or an alternate timeline? You be the judge. Back when the episode titled The Answer was released, not only did it demonstrated precisely how Ruby and Sapphire became Garnet, but it did gave the fandom something to speculate on. What would the Earth be like if Garnet didn't exist? The answer pretty much speaks for itself. But it wasn't until later in the show, when it was revealed that Rose Quartz was really Pink Diamond, that theory got really huge for many fans. After all, Garnet was the whole chain reaction to everything and everyone around her. So for my recommendation, I give it a thumbs up for the creator of this AU.

Honorable Mentions

Steven and Rose Together AU by @pastelpinkillustrator

Half Dragon Steven AU by @hugthesquids

Skybound AU by Mod Shi @su-skybound-au

Fragmented AU by @blindkite

Soft Jock AU by Anonymous @susoftjockau

B-Sides AU by @snidy & @making-friendos

Dimension Hop AU by @pixeldotgamer

[New] Walk the Line AU by @nugatorysheep

To see which AU made #1, click Keep Reading and find out.

1. White Diamond AU (aka Steven AU*niverse) by @thechekhov

https://alexisr294.tumblr.com/post/642408832259211265/update-description-feb-16-2021-im-not-good

Links to Tumblr blog and Tapas:

Also, this description might give out some spoilers about this AU, if you hadn't read this AU or are far behind.

I for one have to say that this was quite impossible for anyone to imagine or even successfully manage to pull off. From the moment I founded this AU, it seemed very charming. I wasn't sure if I did read the first issue, but the first comic episode I truly read was the start of the AU's second season. Since Steven isn't Rose's son in this alternate world, it makes things exciting, especially when he meets Rose (still alive) and the Crystal Gems.

With Rose Quartz around, Chekhov attempts to add in more qualities that purely demonstrates the kind of character she is. Unlike how most fans viewed her as the main antagonist of the show. But considering Rose had such a harsh life back when she was Pink Diamond, it does seem hard for her to adjust her complexity and give out a clear answer whenever someone besides Steven asks her questions relating to Homeworld or the Diamonds. And when Rose does talk things over with him, not only does it bring out this semi mother-son relationship they share with, but it also lets out her tensions, due to severe hardships she faced thousands of years ago. Having to see Rose facing her problems while also presenting a bit more of her true identity is what many SU fans wished would happen in canon. In fact, that's not the only best thing about this AU.

For instance, Chekhov manages to go further beyond the subject of PTSD by having this Steven to be a runaway foster kid who ends up tagging along with a colorless woman with one eye (aka Earl/Pink Pearl). Since the Gems, including Rose, don't know much about him, it does play out perfectly to have them develop a mutual trust with him, despite of their concerns of Homeworld's return and facing the Diamonds' wrath again. While Chekhov is able to present a few of the show's references to build up our expectations, they do manage to keep some pages of the script secret so that way we can keep on guessing what will happen afterwards. Once their ideas come into play as the story progresses, everything works out perfectly. Just like how Chekhov came up with an original character (Seaglass) to put into this AU. As she was revealed or introduced, people already started to find her very cute and lovable in a matter of seconds.

Regardless, this comic has truly capture the spirit of the show as it once was eight years ago. Whether this may be fictional, based on how the story is laid out, I give two thumbs up to you, Chekhov. By setting up the intensity virtuously as each issue is released, having them to be told through actual questions from the followers of this blog, adding more insight on the characters, and providing a bunch of SU references from the original show, this proves that Chekhov has an astonishing gift for storytelling. Even I come to appreciate on the father-son relationship Steven and Greg share so beautifully than how it was presented on the show.

All that's left for me to say is thank you for creating these remarkable tales. I hope to look forward on what comes later. I know your more focus with other stuff in your life and it can be very tiresome, I just wish you luck to you, your friends from Russia, and to everyone who are managing their everyday struggles. Your AU will always be my favorite.

And if you're reading this, what exactly will you do once this AU is completed?

[wizkiddx]

Nothings changed at all

ooh my first lil one  shot on here?!?! not really sure how I feel abt this one but hey ho we move.

summary: 2 years have passed with 2 people living completely separate lives. That’s until Paddy the matchmaker gets involved by not liking exams.

“Y/n?…. Y/n?” Brought out of her ferocious typing, Y/n dragged her attention away from the screen infant of her and looked around the coffee shop to identify the owner of the voice. Sure enough, standing opposite her was an adult and teen who both smiled excitedly at her.

“Nikki! Pads!” Y/n exclaimed while she jumped out of her seat to hug Nikki first, then Paddy. “Wow it’s been ages! You want to join me?”

“Yeh that’d be great!” Nikki smiled already pulling out the free chair opposite, while Paddy stole a chair from a nearby vacant table and pulled it up next to Y/n.

“God you look so grown up since I last saw you!” Nikki grinned, but her eyes held a little surprise making Y/n giggle. It had been at least 2 years since she’d seen the Hollands, and life had changed tremendously for her.

“Yeh well 24 and a qualified doctor now so it’s all happened. But speaking of… what the hell have you done with my fake baby brother Paddy?”

The three spent 40 minutes just catching up with each other, it felt like some weird family reunion. Nikki knew she would be told off by her other sons for ‘consorting with the enemy’ but Nikki really did like and miss her. It was more than clear Paddy did too. Y/n had practically been a part of the Holland family for three years while her and Tom were together, it was fair to say they had all got used to having her around. So when Nikki saw this elegant, grown young woman sat in the coffee shop she couldn’t help but say hi. 

They chatted about everything… well almost everything. There was a large gaping hole in the conversation though, where casual references to Tom would usually lie - but neither felt comfortable broaching that subject with the other. Not yet anyway. Y/n could not believe that paddy was in year 11 and taking his GCSEs, in her head he was still the hyperactive young boy who loved to play spies.

“We only came out today to give this one a break from his revision did we?” Nikki spoke kindly towards her youngest, Y/n raising her eyebrow at the tone.

“Yeh I just proper hate maths and I know I’m going to fail it-“ Paddy sighed, suddenly feeling the need to twist his empty hot choclate mug round and round, clearly nervous just talking about it. He clearly wasn’t especially gifted academically and in a school system where talents for the arts and less ‘mainstream intelligence’ isn’t celebrated - he was just considered a write off.

“We’ve been looking for a tutor for him but… well you know at this point in the year so is everyone.” There was almost a look of resignation in Nikki’s face, quite clear that Paddy had already given up. Y/n knew she had to offer, her history of tutoring meant this would be just like any of her other clients and she knew the curriculum inside out and back to front.

“Well you know… only if you want… but I still do tutoring when I have the time?”Looking cautiously between the other occupants of the little table, she wore a kind smile. It would be weird - yes. Tutoring her ex’s brother. But he didn’t have to know, and the Hollands had always been a second family to her. 

“Mum can she? Please I really need help and-“

“Only if you have time Y/n, sorry I dint mean to guilt you or anything?”

“No no you didn’t! But I would love to, you know Paddy’s always been my favourite Holland!” Nikki laughed at that, nodding her head as she looked deep into Y/n’s eyes. 

“Well then, no harm in trying right?” 

///////////////////////////////

Y/n the tutor was a massive hit. Paddy’s confidence almost instantly sky rocketed, with Y/n’s familiarity with him she knew exactly how to approach different subjects and get the best results. She would come over twice, sometimes three, times a week - but there was never any issue since Tom was away filming with Harry, meanwhile Sam and Dom were sworn to secrecy. The one hour sessions quickly evolved into staying for dinner just so Sam could practice from his cooking course. Then there was a little extra tutoring of english too, then a glass of wine or so. 

Then came the actual exams. A terrifying process not only for Paddy, but everyone else associated with it also. Somehow though, they all made it through alive and without the excuse of tutoring it just became an invite to dinner once a week. Just ‘because’. Nikki and Dom would love to say they only offered because Paddy wanted her there, but truth be told they all enjoyed her company. Especially with two of their sons on the opposite side of the world, it was nice just to have that familiarity again. She would go to the pub every now and again with Dom and Sam and just generally was a part of the families day to day life. 

Then came the night before Paddy’s results.

As expected Y/n had been invited round for a barbecue that evening, with the Hollands and some of Paddys friends families. The whole thing was just a distraction for Paddy who was nervous beyond belief. He really needed to pass to go on to college and chase his dreams of going to university. He couldn’t afford to cock up, even at the tender age of 16.  So fair to say a jovial evening where the word ‘GCSEs’ was banned - it was exactly what the boy needed. Everyone sat in the garden chattering away happily, enjoying the glorious and rare British sunshine. 

Sam popped inside to go to the loo, but on his way was dragged by unfamiliar hands round the corner into a study room. He shrieked in fright, before his eyes widened in recognition.

“Missed us?” Harry smirked as he let go of his twin however he was immediately pounced on by Sam, who had of course missed his twin brother for the half a year he’d been away. Next he turned to Tom, the both of them laughing as he hugged his older brother, Sam having to hide his surprise at his bulkiness. The new role obviously had him working out a hell of a lot.

“What are you doing here anyway?”

“We got some time off and mum said Pads is terrified so we thought we’d pop in for moral support.” Harry exclaimed, clearly very proud of themselves for organising it for their littlest brother. 

“ Does anyone know?”

“Um… well you…now” Tom couldn’t hide his mischievous grin, making Sam shake his head at his over excitedness “So what’s going on? Is it a party or something?”

“I’ve just done a barbecue for Paddy friends families… you remember Jack? Another guy called Zak and then two girls too-“

“Ah cool so we will just walk out and surprise him?” Harry asked and Sam was about to encouragingly agree, until something struck him.

“I…um…Tom there’s something you need to know.” His voice was deadly serious and Harry noticed the warning tone; Tom always oblivious didn’t catch on so quick, just scoffed and asked why.

“While you’ve been away…. Paddy had tutoring to help and um well… Y/n-she’s here.” Tom closed his eyes and shook his head, taking a breath and gulping it down before looking intently at Sam.

“She…she what?”

“Mum bumped into her in town and she got Y/n to help Paddy with maths. I don’t know… she’s here for Paddy and well…”

“Mum knows that we aren’t speaking right?” Sam nodded in defeat, taking a small step back from his brother “and she still…she still did this?”

“You were the other side of the country and you know how close Paddy and Y/n were. And by the way she worked it looks as if she might’ve made him pass which would be a miracle in itself! So please can you just be civil?”

“It has been like 2 years Tom” Harry, very unhelpfully, felt the need to input - earning him a glare from both of his brothers. Tom just shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot, eyes glued to the floor.

“Yeh…I mean we are adults” His words were stuttered, as if his brain was desperately trying to force out words his heart completely disagreed with. Harry and Sam knew of course, they knew their brother never really had got over his first love. With a sympathetic smile Sam led the way out of the study room.

It was fair to say to Holland’s were ecstatic about the twos return, Paddy’s face had been the most priceless because although he was 16 - he still really was an overexcited little kid. The whole garden energy skipped about twelve levels when they walked in, Paddys friends and families also a little excited to see ‘spiderman’ in real life. Yet Y/n… she was less pleased. Sam had instantly come over to her asking if she was okay. Which she was. Unlike her ex, Y/n had properly got over him and had serious relationships since. She just felt awkward for him, she was in the way of a family reunion, she was the sceptre at the feast. Bless Sam for keeping her company, they sat on the outdoor furniture in the corner and just chatted, while Mr centre-of-attention relished all the love from his family. She knew she should leave, so leaned closer to Sam to barely whisper. “I’m gonna go now”

“Y/n you don’t have to, Pads still wants you here and-“ 

“Sam could you give us a minute?” 

Interrupted by the oh so familiar voice, Y/n smiled nervously at him, before giving Sam a side eye saying it was okay for him to leave. Swapping seats Tom sat down in Sams seat, running  a hand through his hair nervously. 

“Look Tom I was just going to go so you guys can have a proper reunion and-“

“Please stay. Paddy wants you here and tonights about him so?”

“That’s very kind of you but...well you made it clear we couldn’t be friends. I don’t want to intrude and-“

“That was years ago and I was being naive. For paddy please?”

“Tom I….I’m-“ Stopping promptly as she was interrupted.

“staying yes I agree. Now come on he’s looking…” Tom lowered his voice as he motioned over to Paddy standing with Sam, who appeared to be watching the exchange between the two ex lovers intently “so pretend I said something funny, laugh and then we can go mingle”

“Hard to imagine… you have no sense of humour” She smiled sarcastically, before throwing her head back laughing - as if she had said something hilarious. Tom knew he had to join in, however much he tried to hide the grimace at her remark.

“ You haven’t changed at all” He muttered under his breath following her as she stood up and headed back towards the main group.

“Oh but I have” Tossing her head to look back at him, flowing hair flicking round too “I’ve learnt my worth.” Her words were dripping with sass and a little passive-aggressiveness, but all Tom could think was how amazing she was, how much he had missed that little smirk she did while flicking her head back round and pull Paddy in for a side hug. 

////////////////////////

The evening flew by, all of Paddy’s friends and their families went home, yet Y/n stayed and chatted with the Hollands as if this was completely normal. They had all long since migrated into the sitting room while the sun was setting, playing some board games of Paddy’s choice - his results long since forgotten early that evening. Truth be told, Y/n really enjoyed catching up with Harry and although they hadn’t really had any personal conversations- seeing Tom and taking the piss out of his uselessness at the games was also very enjoyable. After her and Paddy’s turn ended Y/n excused herself to go to the toilet but instead of going straight back to the living room she went to grab herself a glass of water.

“Oh Y/n… I was meaning to catch you” The soft and very very familiar voice startled her a little, the warm tone sending shivers down her spine as if a reflex. Turning round to see Tom leant against the counter with a small smile.

“Well what’s up then?” She tried not to be too open too quickly, as much as her heart just wanted to skip the small talk. 

“Just wanted to catch up, it’s been a while and just feel like we should be friends since my family seem to sort of adopted you” She scoffed at his statement, very obviously rolling her eyes, a little annoyed.

“And who was it that didn’t want to be friends huh?” She raised an eyebrow and this was Toms turn to scoff as he looked down at the ground.

“Yeh yeh I deserve that… shall we just skip past the blaming me huh?” The cockiness wasn’t hidden in his voice and that made her laugh, clearly not that shy. In fact he was terrified, but wanted to look as if he didn’t care, like he was flippant. 

“Alright Spiderman, so how’s life?” …

The truth about their break up was quite simple. Tom had got too busy and had stopped making time to their relationship. Y/n grew tired and had had enough, which he completely understood. He’d tried to promise more effort, flying back for extra weekends but they both new they were hollow, it wouldn’t be maintained. Their last meeting hadn’t been an angry shouty one, rather just depressingly sad. They’d both been upset, recahingn a mutual conclusion it was just the wrong time. Which they had both agreed with... but one thing they hadn’t. Tom thought it was like dangling a carrot in front of his face, having Y/n still present in his life. He had given her an ultimatum, they either keep going on together p as a couple or they would become strangers. And that’s where it had been left 2 years ago. 

They spent the next half an hour or so, chatting away as if nothing had ever happened. It felt normal again, all jokingly catching up about the most ridiculous things - the low hum of the left on radio in the background. That was until a certain song  came on the radio - it was ridiculous, the most insane unlikely eventuality to happen. Their old song. 

Of course that would happen. Y/n released a breathy laugh and Tom’s grin just grew and grew across his face, slowly transferring into a smirk. He stood up from leaning across the counter, that Y/n was now sat cross-legged on top. In his ever so dramatic movie like style, he rounded the counter to her side, and held an arm out to her. 

“Dance with me”

“Tom that’s-“

“Oh come on, dance with me!”

“You’re ridiculous”

“I know. So dance with me?”

“Tooommm” She drew out his name in refusal, but her body said something else as she slid off from the counter - delicately landing on tiptoes as she lowered herself down. 

“Just come here, for old times sake” He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him, transferring his hand to hover at her waist, not touching until she  gave him a small nod in permission. Hesitantly she knew where her hands were supposed to go and slowly drifted them up to round his neck, but balanced  her forearms further on his collarbones so she held her own hands rather than gripping his neck as was natural. They slowly moved in unison, just slightly rocking from one side to another - Tom’s eyes locked on hers.

“So are you happy?” Something about the way he said it made her internally shudder. It was the pure care, all his sarcasm and cockiness stripped back to expose himself just for this moment.

“Um yeh… I don’t know feel like I’m starting to figure out this whole ‘life’ thing.” She smiled up at his chocolate brown eyes, while he seemed to absorb all she said. 

“And he treats you well?”

“He?” She narrowed her eyebrows in confusion, cocking her head to the side slightly.

“Oh er… before you said that ‘we’d moved out’ and I just assumed-“

“Ah um yeh I moved in with someone but he’s not in the picture anymore… got the bed to myself again” Tom thought she didn’t seem very affected by it yet still felt guilty for bringing it up.

“I’m sorry… er how long? Are you okay?”

“Yeh I really am. A year and a half so we taught each other a lot, but it was mutual. We’re still friends.” Smiling, Y/n watched as Tom nodded minutely and they drifted to silence, listening to the song bringing back all sorts of memories. “What about you? Got yourself a super model I assume?” She didn’t mean to ask that. Because why did she need to know? She didn’t care about that. Did she? Tom chuckled nervously before replying.

“Umm no. I haven’t really dated anyone since… just all the travelling and everything doesn’t really work with the dating scene.” His voice was quiet, as if hiding something, and he couldn’t meet her eyes looking at the floor.

“Oh… yeh I get that” Unconsciously letting her hands slip back, connecting with the back of his neck- instantly making him meet eyes with hers again. They just stared at each other, still swaying from side to side as the music flowed. He didn’t want this moment to end. And secretly… neither did she. 

“I can’t take you seriously when you look at me like that”  Breaking the intensity, nervously Y/n giggled, leaning away - but Tom’s arms, still on her waist, kept her from going anywhere. 

“Like what?” His eyebrows raised, enjoying her nervous flush present on her cheeks a little more than he should. 

“Like nothings changed” She all but whispered, the gap between the two almost magically diminishing. The pause was long as Tom tried to  formulate the idea he so wanted to get across. 

“ Maybe that’s because… right now I have exactly the same feelings I did two years ago… that maybe I want so badly to kiss you?” His voice was barely audible at the point, but their faces were barely centimetres from each other; noses hovering side by side as his lips brushed hers. He didn’t want to push her, yet at the same time one of his hands moved to her cheek - gently cupping it as his eyes flicked between her wide eyes and pink flushed lips. 

“Maybe… maybe you should kiss me then?” The tension was palpable as she drew out her words, purposefully teasing him a little. Because she wanted to keep him on his toes. When her heard her suggestion she had to stop herself from giggling at the smile that instantly grew across his face, the way his pupils grew in shock . Safe to say he didn’t reply, instead slowly and delicately pressing his lips on hers. She reciprocated tentatively and deepened the kiss bit by bit. Her hands now running through his hair on the back of his head, Toms other hand now on the small of her back - closing the distance completely, their bodies connected. It didn’t last long before she pulled away the most seductive smile on her face, while Tom subtly tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out of his lungs. 

“We should go back” She whispered, while running her thumb over his left flicky eyebrow that always intrigued her. Suddenly his eyebrows furrowed in concern, worried he had made her feel uncomfortable. Instantly recognising this, she calmed his nerves very simply by pressing a fleeting kiss on his lips once again, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the living room.

As soon as they entered Y/n and Tom both realised how long they’d been in the kitchen. The game long since abandoned, probably waiting on one of their returns at their go, the rest of the Hollands now all sat lounging on different areas of the sofa - who all immediately looked up as they shuffled in. Luckily the lights were dimmed for the movie playing on the TV screen, so that no one would see her blushing cheeks. She sat in the middle of the sofa which only paddy was on, and Tom followed sitting next to her - but not too close that it would be suspicious . No words were exchanged throughout, though Nikki did exchange a knowing look with Dom - who had seemingly finally learnt when to keep his mouth closed. Both Y/n and Tom pretend to fix their full attention on the film for a short while, even if both their brains were whirring away with very very separate thoughts to any critical analysis of the storyline. 

After about 10 minutes though, Tom pulled his leg up, just so it was obscuring the view to the sofa opposite and took the opportunity to clasp Y/n’s hands in his. Slickly, even though she wasn’t expecting the contact Y/n didn’t react her eyes still trained on the TV. However, Tom didn’t miss the small upward tug on her lips as she squeezed his hand back. No one noticed.

Except Paddy. 

Paddy from his vantage point on the sofa he was sharing with the two, peered over subtly as he went to the loo - and a massive smirk appeared across his face. He might just’ve got his sister back.

[beebrainedstudios]

Adsom Winter Holiday Headcanons:

Sorry for the formatting, I did this really quickly on my phone.

White London:

The festival season in Makt is all about warmth and the celebration of family ties. In healthier times, the start of the season was a huge deal, as it signified that winter was here and preparations for the coldest months needed to begin. The festival season spans all throughout December and into the early weeks of January; each week has its own theme and specific holiday with its own traditions, such as ice skating and decorating the home. This period is seen as the last chance to form connections before deep winter, a time when such relationships can mean the difference between being comfortable and struggling to survive: as such, people often celebrate the holidays with friends and family. In some cases, households that have difficulty on their own will join together for the winter to act as one larger family unit; the holidays are when most groups choose to start the process, as the festive mood tends to make the merging easier. Gift-giving is common, with a lot of said gifts being food or sweets- particularly common is candy made by pouring molasses-like syrup in patterns onto clean snow; when it cools, a tasty sugary picture has been formed. Decorating with coniferous trees is also commonplace; all manner of cones, limbs, and pine scents add to the generally warm atmosphere the season gives off. If a family is religious, they will typically celebrate some personal holiday at this time, but this varies tremendously. Community events often happen over this period, such as sled races or sleigh rides. As a rule, anything that uses the abundant snow is fair game; it’s not uncommon for a huge snowball fight to break out. Unfortunately, most of these traditions died out as White London slowly got worse, but the memory of the holidays is still firmly rooted in Maktahn culture, and due to Holland’s short reign and his death, the festival season has started making a comeback- a huge step towards Makt’s recovery.

Red London:

Due to the Red world’s unusually warm climate, an Arnesian winter actually shares a lot in common with a Grey world autumn. All of the deciduous plants still die off as normal and it gets cold enough for frosty breath, but truly cold-weather things such as snow or thick ice are usually a thing of the past or confined to a single week of the year. However, Arnes still remembers its pre-Split climate, and a lot of their holiday season is spent trying to bring back the wintry feeling along with their standard celebrations. Red London’s holidays are much more closely condensed than White London’s; their various holidays are only celebrated for the final two weeks of the year. Arnes’ lack of a concrete religion has led to a diversity of specific traditions, but most beliefs are adapted to suit the kingdom-wide festivities, which are designed to fit all religious needs. The main theme is cheer and celebration of identity, both of country and of self. The season starts off with massive parades and city-wide parties as the kingdom celebrates what makes Arnes, well, Arnes. As the holidays progress, things become much more self-centered; three days before the first day of the new year in particular. On this day, the day of Anos An, people are encouraged to exaggerate positive personal traits and become much more intense versions of themselves- a playful person may become a merry trickster, or an introvert may seek out another introvert to spend the day quietly basking in each other’s presence. This day is meant to be about one and their knowledge of oneself, spent in self-reflection through action. Anos An is meant to help others learn about those they care about, and traditionally people are required to be cordial and kind (within reason of course, not every personality will mesh well); after all, everyone is just being themself. Magic use is also widespread during this holiday as the ultimate expression of self- many kids go through their element tests on this day as a matter of course. It’s a strange holiday that can easily get out of hand, but the Arnesians have it well-versed by now.

Another huge part of Red London’s holiday season is music and sound. As soon as the fortnight starts, bright silver bells are hung on every lamppost, doorway, and windowsill. Ringing these bells as one passes them is seen as a sign of future happiness and a merry soul, and their sound is said to be pleasing to magic itself. Huge groups of people gather by the Isle each night, caroling while others freeze the river with magic and skate on it. Any musical group plays as often as possible to help add to the noise. Of course, some people have problems handling the overwhelming din- those that do are often gifted with stylish enchanted earmuffs colored silver, which act both as a noise-buffer and a public signal that they are easily overstimulated/bothered by sound and should be treated as such. Food is less of a focus than it is in White, but nonetheless certain dishes are customary; cranberry cakes, snowflake cookies dusted with red and silver sugar, and candied pomegranates are all common favorites. All festivities culminate in a massive New Years celebration; everyone retreats to their homes (or the palace, if they’re invited) to quietly wait for the sun; when it rises on the new year, the city bursts to life, with everyone’s magic swelling at once, music filling the air, and dancing in the streets. It’s seen as a fresh start for everyone to grow together, making it one of the most important holidays of the year.

Black London:

Very little is known about Black London’s holiday season, but the general consensus is that it was much calmer and relaxed than the other world’s festivities, as most Black London holidays were celebrated during the summer when the expansive coastline of their river could be fully enjoyed. What little celebration that did occur during this season was often centered around peace. A world in constant transformation can easily be overwhelming- winter in Black London was meant to be a time of rest and refocusing on one’s life and magic. This holiday season was largely celebrated at home or with one’s close friends and family as everyone relaxed and lets themselves breath. Toning down magic at this time was also encouraged to give the world a break. Beyond this, little is known, as almost all specifics of this history have been lost to time and to Black London’s fall.

Character Specific:

Kell, Rhy, and Holland are all huge holiday people, while Alucard and Lila are not (they get into it later).

During the holiday season, most of the Maresh princes’ low moods disappear. Both Rhy and Kell fling themselves into the holidays with all the force of two desperate idiots looking for happiness, and happiness they get. Rhy both as king and as prince is often busy helping to set up the holidays themselves, organizing the musicians and the decoration of the palace. However, as soon as he can slip away he is out into the city to sing and dance with everyone else. Rhy may partake in all of the royals’ festivities, but it’s the nighttime celebration in the streets he enjoys most of all. He loves it best by the river; he’ll often carol for several nights in a row until Kell finally gets annoyed with the monotony and pushes him onto the ice at the river. Rhy then spends the rest of the night skating while Kell laughs and watches on. As is tradition for the royals, Rhy also tends to change his usual attire during the holidays, swapping his gold for silver and wearing a plush red cloak to help keep him warm during the festivities. Anos An Rhy is remarkably similar to normal Rhy; he just uses a much more extensive vocabulary and tends to stick close to Kell (half a matter of self-protection considering of his brother’s choice of self-celebration). Rhy naturally has a lot of things he could choose to embrace about himself, and he chooses accomplishments- such as language and brotherhood- that he is most proud of. Post-ACOL, Rhy continues many of these personal traditions with Alucard, trying to warm him up to the holiday.

Kell enjoys two things he doesn’t anytime else during the holiday; parties and noise. Every time the holidays come around Kell changes into a vibrant, excitable version of himself because he just loves the season so frickin much, much to the surprise of those who don’t know about it. He switches his royal red coat out for a long silver fur-lined one that’s covered with fake frost and he hits the town, ringing every bell he comes across. For once he’s happy to join the other royals in parades and winter balls, gliding through the crowd like a winter breeze. He even takes the time to grow his hair out a bit so he can braid it with quartz crystals (a tradition all royals partake in to help liven up their crowns); he may not always feel like a royal, but the holidays are a time meant for family and he spends them with the makeshift one he’s got. Kell also takes on an almost Santa-like role around the city; by this time of year his little room is often in desperate need of cleaning out, so he’ll leave little trinkets hidden around doors, walls, or the palace for people to find. People have figured it out by now and make a game of finding the Black-Eyed Prince’s gifts, which delights Kell in kind. During Anos An, Kell chooses to shed his dour demeanor in favor of accentuating his cunning, stealth, magic, and playful side; in short, he becomes a prankster. Anyone within his immediate vicinity needs to watch their pockets- their coins in particular- and keep an eye on the Antari lurking at the edge of their vision. If Kell isn’t in a thieving mood he settles for plain old mischief, such as letting the king slip on ice into a snowbank or sprinkling salt on desserts (he always leaves some untouched- he’s not a monster). All of the pranks/petty theft is in good fun; anything taken is returned at the end of the night with extra coins or trinkets from Kell’s end, and anyone he truly embarrassed receives more than a few apologies. This day is simply Kell’s reminder to himself that he’s allowed to enjoy himself, and if he can make others laugh while doing so than that’s even better.

Rhy and Kell often take the time to hang out during the holidays, and they make a goal to wander through the Night Market together at least once in their half-hearted disguises so they can get gifts for one another (including some the other is unaware of).

White London has not been kind to Holland, but even in its darkest hours Holland wanted to be kind to everyone else. Everyone knew how the holidays were supposed to go even if no one celebrated them, so when Holland was young he’d stash up enough food to cook little treats for everyone nearby, leaving them on their doorsteps while knowing full well he was putting himself at risk. Fortunately, no one responded with violence- at least not that he knew of- and he kept up his little gifting spree until Alox died. He also spent the winters of his youth tucked up next to his brother, listening to him tell stories of the Someday King. As everyone knows, these holidays didn’t last long; they reignited briefly with Talya and again with Vortalis, but eventually the coldness of the world got to Holland too and he gave up. When he could manage during the Danes’ reign, he’d try to find something to brighten the end of the staff’s year with (those that had kept their heads, anyway), but it always was a tricky business considering anything closely resembling joy was at risk of being snapped up by the Danes. Holland didn’t have a winter during his reign to celebrate the holidays in, but if he had been given the chance he would have encouraged all of Makt to participate. Needless to say, they didn’t need the encouragement and wholeheartedly threw themselves into it after he was gone and the world awoke.

As mentioned above, both Alucard and Lila are not huge holiday people as difficult circumstances ruined both of their enjoyment of their respective world’s holidays. Lila never saw the benefit of a holiday for a religion she didn’t practice that she couldn’t afford to participate in; it only made her angry to see well-off people wasting money on gifts for each other that she was sure were meant to be status symbols. Even though Barron tried endlessly to get her to spend the winter holidays with him, he never succeeded, and it was only after his death that Lila realized what she had been missing. Naturally, once she’s in a better place she has a easier time enjoying the Arnesian holidays, even as she sees how much Alucard himself struggles to do the same. The fact that Kell’s joy is exponentially increased during the season doesn’t hurt either, and on her first Arnesian New Year, when Kell sweeps her into the street for a dance to greet the sun, she has to concede that she doesn’t want to miss the holidays ever again (she enjoyed Anos An too; it involved a lot of fire and problem mitigation on Kell’s end).

Alucard’s main problem with the holidays comes from the fact that his family life sucked. Even before he was outed to his family, nobody really liked each other, and that made it very difficult to muster any cheer or general goodwill. The Emerys’ would participate in anything the crown needed them to as part of the ruling elite, but that was where the happiness stopped. Alucard could sometimes manage to gift Anisa something, but it always ended up an ordeal when everyone else complained about it. Once the two are reunited Rhy makes it his mission to get Alucard to enjoy the holidays again, and to the pirate’s credit it doesn’t take much. Though he never really gets over his dislike of large holiday dinners (too easy to get into fights), he does start to warm up to other things that Rhy suggests, such as carriage rides and sharing drinks with friends. His crew is roped into it by the prince to help give Alucard a better family to celebrate with- the guards may be confused about the pirates running amok in the palace, but one look at the excited kings’ faces is enough to get them to stand down. Even Kell, with the necessary help of the holiday mood, manages to have some fun with Alucard, taking his hat on Anos An to return it filled with jewelry, low-value coins, and a note that reminds him who managed to take it (in Alucard’s defense, he was busy performing magic tricks for Rhy and the palace guests, showing off his skill and talent as something he valued highly).

[ingravinoveritas]

I want to add to fckupnerd's post because I'm a twitter Sheen fan and I don't want the hate coming from the superfans. But I agree, DT has an edge of being better whereas there is always a little part of Michael in each of his characters so he never fully loses himself into a role; using his voice, hand gestures or body movements to show Michael is slightly present. But that doesn't mean Michael isn't fantastic. Take Faith Healer for instance, Michael blew me away with just his microexpressions.

Hi Twitter Fan Anon! I’m sorry that you feel you have to be anonymous due to the looney Sheen Twitter fans, but I’m glad you messaged me. Tagging @fckedupnerd to make sure she sees your contribution.

Also, I agree with you. DT is better in terms of subverting his personality to disappear into a role. But as you said, Michael is still a fantastic actor in his own way. I very much enjoyed his performance in Faith Healer as well, and I agree about Michael’s talent with microexpressions. Good Omens was one of the first things I ever saw Michael in, and I still remember being stunned by the body swap scene, and how he conveyed so much with just the littlest expressions and movements. I binge watched Masters Of Sex after that and to this day, I feel Michael’s work as Bill Masters is second to none, and one of his most controlled performances ever. For someone like Michael who is Welsh and twinkly and so full of life to draw all of that in and push it deep down to a place of incredible restraint is just extraordinary. Also, Michael has consistently been the shining bright spot in several otherwise mediocre movies (Tron: Legacy, Twilight, The Adventurer, etc.), turning in performances that elevate subpar material and the performances of everyone around him.

What I love about David, though, is that he somehow gets to the soul of soulless characters. Des is one example, but also Kilgrave, Aiden Hoynes, and Tom Kendrick in Deadwater Fell. It’s not that he makes you feel sympathy for these horrifying characters, but he makes you look at them, and think about how they came to exist. This went to a whole other level with Des, of course, because Dennis Nilsen was a real person, and there is no titillation or vicarious thrills to be taken. It’s the reality of the man and his actions laid bare, and we are devastated and moved by how unmoved he is. That’s damn powerful stuff, and it surely does take an actor of David’s caliber to pull it off.

I would also love to see Michael and David in a theatrical production together someday, because they are both tremendous theatre actors. (I wish I could have seen Michael’s Hamlet, because I’d love to compare it side-by-side to David’s Hamlet.) Playing off each other onstage is a world apart from doing so on film, but I know they could do it marvelously and complement each other so well.

Anyway, TL;DR: Michael and David are both talented actors in different ways and this is something we should be able to discuss calmly without people being attacked, so I’m sorry you had that concern, Anon, but I hope having this platform helped you out. Thanks for writing in!

[zachscarroll]

Final Thoughts on Paper Mario the Origami King with some major spoilers

I thought this game overall was incredibly charming and worth your time if you are a fan of the classic games like the original Paper Mario 64 or Thousand Year Door. It was leaps and bounds ahead of Sticker Star, and overall I thought it was better paper Mario game than Color Splash ever hoped to be.

Even though I'm pleased with playing it through it does have some glaring issues. Right out of the gate, this game is being held back by some sort of executive decisions from Nintendo and it shows tremendously especially within the first few hours of the game. I know nothing about the development of the game, but there are defiantly some things that seem either out of place or rushed which is strange.

Practically the first 3-4 hours of the game is nothing but tutorials, which they do need to explain stuff but not this much oh my goodness. They truly took a lot of the challenge out of the game and made it "very, very young kid oriented" and I'm not looking for the most challenging game out there--I usually play most games on easier difficulties so I can enjoy the adventure instead of having to be annoyed with redoing things. Olivia pops up way too much. I liked her character for the most part. Between Huey, and Kersti, Olivia was a very good one. Huey was a little bit more funny, but Olivia had a lot of charm and multiple emotional arcs. I know saying that sounds silly for a Mario game but she does grow as a character showing that she's still worried about whether or not she can really stop her brother. However, she pops up every time something happens. It's too much. I can see something has appeared Olivia. It's okay--but I'm getting off topic that's exactly what Huey did too in Color Splash. I hate to say it but when she leaves your party by being crushed by a boulder it felt like a classic paper mario game then. You had Bobby with you and he would add his own flair as the helper character.

Bobby truly was a great partner, and even if he's only with you for like maybe 2 or so hours I enjoyed having him around. I'm extremely glad they had partners return even if they felt more like story related. I liked having more than just Olivia with me. All of the partners except Professor Toad were really cool. It kinda sucks that Professor Toad is so forgettable because he is the only partner who has an over world ability. I think it would have been cooler if he was like a Monty mole or something instead of just a Toad with a shovel, there's just so many Toads in the game that an archaeologist Toad could have been cool, but I don't really know where they were trying to go with the character. He was like a scaredy-cat kind of character but also made weird like college references like about his thesis. At the very least he had an unique outfit? I don't know I'm reaching for Professor Toad. Why not just have Captain Toad who's an already established character and an explorer? Anyway, I found it kinda weird that no one else had an over world ability, and they could have done some more interesting puzzles if they had given Kamek or Boswer some. I loved having Kamek join and how he talked about being self conscious and lacking self esteem because Bowser never listened to him. Bowser Jr. was cool too, he wasn't as bratty as I thought he'd be. He was written like a tough kid. Both Kamek and Jr. have satisfying reasons for leaving your party. I liked how they put Mario first in order to save the whole kingdom. It made me as the player feel like "these bad guys know that Mario can save them." I know it's silly but again just a nice touch to the story. Of course you get Bowser to join you right at the very end which is just so great. He even talks about his parenting practices. Luigi also have a shockingly hilarious and "key" role to the story. I'm so glad to see these classic characters have great writing behind them, and really show off that these partners are pretty vital to paper Mario. Especially Luigi and Bowser when in the previous two titles had maybe like 8 lines between the two of them. Yes they don't do much in battle, but they are vital to the story. If my paper Mario games have a fun and unique story then that's all I really want.

Bobby was my favorite. If you haven't seen the one big twist involving Bobby, I'd skip this section and pick back up at the next paragraph. Anyway, Bobby sacrifices himself to save Olivia. While you can kinda piece things together and see it coming after a while you don't expect Bobby to just like straight up die. I remember when it happened I was like, "they really did this in a Mario game?". They even have a cute moment later on in Bowser's castle where Olivia thinks she see Bobby again. Overall he was amazing. That whole area of Shogun Studios felt the most reminiscent of classic Paper Mario games. I had a grin on my face pretty much the whole way through.

The one big gripe I had with the partners is other than Bobby any time you wanna go back to Toad Town or other areas they're just like "yeah okay i'm gonna stay here see ya later". Why? Why not let them come with you? The writers don't have to write any additional dialogue and if they did that would have been cool. Why wouldn't Professor TOAD wanna go back to TOAD town? There's an extra area where you can take Bobby at one point to get photos taken with him in Shogun Studios. Why not do that with other characters as a cool little Easter egg? Truly I didn't understand why they couldn't travel with you. I know in that infamous interview floating around with the directors and producers saying they only wanted one partner at a time so it didn't cause any confusion for swapping them out but that's so stupid.

Back to the game being held back--there were times I could see the designers desperately wanted to make a unique character better, or give something else a personality but they weren't allowed to. It hurts a lot when the original paper Mario games could give toads fun little names like  "Zess T." or "Fice T." and now we have "Professor Toad" or "Battle Lab Toad". There are two toads in Toad Town that both say something like "where's Purple Toad?" or "Where's Blue Toad?". Stuff like that takes me out of the enjoyment of the game. It's only when you go and look on the around on other sites that you find out that the Origami Craftsman man is actually Theofold. Yes, we did have captain T. ode, but like. That's just "Toad". Back to that interview from the producers of the game where they say they can't really alter Mario characters anymore like give them age, gender, etc. But come on. I'm not really sure why they can't give the toads proper names. I know that's an extreme nitpick, but that's definitely something that takes me out of the game and reminds me "oh yeah we can't do this anymore". Even Bobby, will constantly remind Olivia to call him "Bob-omb" It just feels like a slap in the face. Bring back Toadsworth? An established character who has been MIA for like years now. Just please. Please make the Toads different they did a very good job here with a handful like, the sea captain, captain T.ode, Professor Toad, and the Shangri-spa Toads. I remember those toads because they were dressed up differently than the other ones. I even remember the Toad who told you where the heart ups were because he was in a completely unique pose then the other ones. Please Nintendo I'm begging you just make them look more unique or don't rely on them as a pillar of a character. They are all the same. Just do more colors of Toads! There's red, blue, yellow, green, and purple.Make an orange Toad or something please. I liked finding the Toads in the different areas and they would unfold from origami, it gave me some korok seed vibes. Do more stuff like that!

Concerning the game's overall story, I liked it, but it could have been so much more. There were multiple key moments where I was like "why wouldn't they have a cut scene for this as like a flashback?". The first one was right at the beginning of the game. They instead of showing you in the actual game like a cut scene, they show a small slideshow of Toads setting up for the Origami festival with Princess Peach on the logo screen which I guess is okay, but I'm not a fan. Personally, I would have liked there to be a sort of storybook intro that the previous games had being like "every 100 years the toads in toad town set up a festival to honor the proud technique of origami" and then cut to Mario and Luigi getting a mail call from Parakarry (like the previous games) and then being like "the festival is today we hope to see you there." and then bam they're driving to the festival. I know that seems kinda dumb but why not show that in your game instead of Luigi being like "can't wait to get there" while he's driving his cart from Mario Kart. It's a little weird to me. The biggest moment like this happened when you first meet the origami craftsman (who yes is just a Toad) he explains these unique origami techniques he used to fold King Olly to make him come to life, but like brushes past it real quick. And then at the very very end (skip ahead if you don't want spoilers) Olly talks about this 1000 crane origami wish thing that was never brought up before by anyone. If he had mentioned it when he dropped the boulder on Olivia that would have been acceptable but it just kinda comes out of nowhere. If you're going to bring these things up then like at least mention them once before or have some type of set up and pay off for it. It just felt kinda rushed. The ending was cute though, and I remember liking Color Splash's ending a bit more but this one was surprisingly beautiful with how it ends with floating lanterns it reminded me a little of Tangled.

The other big thing people are complaining about is no experience. This has pros and cons. pros: the battle in this game a lot of them are scripted or can be ran past no problem. However if you want to buy better weapons or accessories (this game's subtle nod to the badge system) you need a lot of coins. A lot of them. You use the coins in battle to let the Toad audience help you or use coins to buy more time to line up your foes properly. I like this system. While I could have gone for a little more incentive to battle I found myself using my coins even if I had thousands of them. I thought it was a pretty good balance. I don't see why they couldn't have thrown in a little more to make the battles worthwhile though. Why not after ever 10 battles let you pick a stat? Mario's running speed in the over world could be faster, Mario's first strike can be stronger, It doesn't cost as many coins when using them in battle? These are just thoughts I've had if they don't want to use a traditional style stat system. They had max up hearts that raised power and health it's just kinda strange why they don't want to have stats improve or give you another reward for battling other than money.

I will say while backtracking to get missing collectibles I avoided battles outright. If I got into a battle while backtracking I would sigh. I knew there was nothing left for me to spend my coins on so I would try to run from the battle but nine times out of ten I would fail running from the battle. At least the battles go by quickly, but it would use up durability on your consumable weapons. I'm very glad that they brought back permanent weapons and no stickers or cards. This weapon system is a littler underutilized though. I feel like if the designers went in they could have come up with three or four more weapon types. Why not use more Mario related power ups? Why just the fire or ice flowers, tail, and pow block? Why not have a jump move that hits in a 4x4 area like the hammer? They have a hammer item that works like the jump move! Why not have the frog suit back from sticker star or color splash that you can use to dodge unavoidable damage if you don't line up the monsters in time? I loved the battle system a lot more than Sticker Star and Color Splash but it seems like they only scratched the surface of the attacks Mario could do. If you're going to have different weapons that break why not have 10 or 20 unique different weapons as opposed to just more powerful versions of the same 5 weapons? Same with the healing items. Why only mushrooms, when in Toad Town you can get coffee that speeds you up or slows you down? Especially when you find a handful of coffee shops in the game, why can't I buy those coffees there? Why not bring back the cooking in the game from the first two? I know it'll never happen, but near the end of the game you get a spot to cook one item and I really got my hopes up.  I know I'm presenting a lot of questions, but this is all I thought about when doing the battles. If they do an "origami king 2" or something that reuses this battle system I feel like there is a lot of room for improvement and a lot more unique encounters. I also feel like they did this because they didn't want to over complicate things. They wanted the battles to be simple after you did a puzzle section. Also the battles are super snappy. Lasting two turns if you get the right line up and can be more if you don't. I think that's a really good way to make the player really learn the right way to move the board. That being said there were many times I didn't see the solution and would brute force my way through making some of the battles a bit of a slog.

They do flip the script a lot with the boss battles. First off "The Legion of Stationary" is great. While it took me a while to get used to them, they were some of the best fights in the whole game. The Tape boss was extremely cool and used an element that I wished more games could use. They let you get comfortable with the battle system then the tape is like "no you can't move stuff around, or you have to move the 2 rings around at once." This was such a cool battle and it really did make you think. I will say it was a little weird that the bosses were real life objects like colored pencils or a bunch of rubber bands, but I thought it was more comical. I know a lot of folks did not like them at all. They were set up and referenced though because all of the tools were mentioned in a bookshelf in the origami craftsman's library. This is how set up and pay off is done correctly because Olly would have seen him using them and so he'd use them against the toads and Mario just a nice little touch really. If you missed the book in the library scene they really hammer it home by showing you the legion of stationary was on the origami craftman's desk. I've looked around online and apparently a lot of the bosses can be beaten differently, they don't all end in 1000 fold arms finishers which is super cool.

Also the two other big mechanics for this game were the 1000 fold arms and the paper macho bad guys. The 1000 fold arm thing was fine, it felt right at home in a game like this which focused on origami. That being said the paper macho characters felt tacked on. They did not belong in this game, They were the other side of the battles being in real time and defeated by Mario using his hammer on them. The reason why they had to have these were if Olivia was not with you like on the cruise ship you had a way to take down a boss without her help, because she's needed for the 1000 fold arm technique. Cool idea, but felt wrong for this game which focused on origami it's like they really really wanted to make this a Zelda game and have action style battles to contrast to the puzzle ones. Again, I could see them being used in another game.  

If they do make another Paper Mario game, and I hope they do, I hope they keep pushing the needle forward.Every game since Sticker Star has been a HUGE improvement, and if we're not going back to the original games I hope each game makes an effort to address all of the glaring issues that all of us Paper Mario fans have.

[chickensarentcheap]

Best Part of Me - Chapter 43

Warnings: profanity, slight mention of child abuse

Tagging: @innerpaperexpertcloud​, @alievans007​, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y​, @ocfairygodmother​

She dreams of their last morning in Dhaka.

Not of when he’d sent her away with Ovi and Saju. Or of the carnage on the Sultana Kamal Bridge. No blood. No sounds of gunfire and explosions. No blinding or crippling fear. No confusion or frustration. No counting the steps from start to finish because it was the only thing keeping you focused and sane. No burning sting from your own sweat dripping in your eyes. No smell of gunpowder or gasoline from ruptured tanks. And no Farhad. No bullet to the throat or the weight of Tyler’s body in her arms; no hearing him choking or gasping. No seeing his blood seep through her fingers or the feel of his pulse when she’d had to resort to attempting to pinch off the severed vein. No witnessing the terror in his eyes; watching helplessly as all hope and life began to fade.

In her dreams Dhaka doesn’t exist.  It hasn’t in almost a year. Eleven months, fourteen days, and roughly ten hours. Give or take a few minutes. That’s the last time she had THAT particular dream; reliving the horror second by second in extremely vivid and heartbreaking detail. She’d wake up in hysterics; violently flailing and screaming at the top of her lungs, entire body trembling as hot, bitter tears streamed down her face. And the second he merely touched her in an effort to comfort and calm, things only escalated. Her fight or flight response immediately kicking in and always choosing fight. Kicking and punching; yanking at his hair and clawing at his face and his throat. Not relenting until he had to physically restrain both arms behind her back and pin her -stomach down- to the bed with his bigger and much stronger frame.  Holding her there until she wore herself out and her brain finally became aware of her surroundings. Ugly , heaving sobs turning into soft, pathetic whimpers. Ashamed of herself as she lay there; feeling the weight of his body, the warmth of his breath and his lips pressed to her ear. That deep voice impossibly calm and soothing as he continued to talk her down off the ledge. Reminding her that she wasn’t in Dhaka anymore. She’d made it out of there. They both had. They were no longer on the bridge; no longer in danger but in the safety and security of home. THEIR home. And he’d tell her loved her and that there was nothing...or no one...that could ever hurt her again. He’d make sure of that. And she’d cry even more because she didn’t understand how he could love her THAT much. When she was so broken and damaged and didn’t feel worthy of pity, let alone love.

This dream is pleasant. Welcome. Of that squalid Dhaka hotel room with its discolored walls and water stained ceiling and mismatched furniture. Sticky, humid temperatures even in the early morning hours; no relief brought by the steady breeze that ruffled the tattered and torn curtains.  Nothing else existing outside that room once the door closed behind them; no attention paid to the dirty surroundings or the noises from the street below. Being woken up by large, calloused hands roaming her body; surprisingly gentle yet focused and attention in their exploration. Soon accompanied by a series of soft kisses being pressed along her shoulders, against the back of her neck, and down the entire length of her spine. Lips soft and warm; a striking contrast to the rub and scratch of her beard.  Shivering as every nerve ending caught on fire and her body began to respond. Feeling the weight... that almost intimidating presence...of his much larger and heavier body as it hovered above. One hand planted next to her head on the mattress as two fingers from the other cleared away the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear; followed by the touch of his lips against her temple and then the corner of her mouth.  Breathtaking softness from a man so powerful; striking blue eyes no longer haunted and troubled, instead filled with so much want and need.

And when she lifts her head and turns her face into his, it’s different. Not as tough and desperate. A gentleness in those long and soft closed mouth upon closed mouth kisses. His tongue tentatively prodding at her lips and then her teeth, seeking permission. What follows is next is a change of pace; a deviation from the sex of the past five days. Slowly and patiently taking her from behind; no aggression, no fingers pressing into her hips hard enough to bruise, no punishing, animalistic pace. Just slow, controlled movements and the sounds of his ragged breath and the drip of his seat on her back and shoulders. It’s overwhelming but welcome; the roughness of his beard against her skin, the now familiar scent that clings to his skin and his hair, the sound of his voice as it rumbles deep within his chest. His presence engulfs her; brain trying to commit every inch of him...every kiss exchanged, every smile, every word he’s spoken...to memory.

The dream switches abruptly. The car ride to the extraction point; seven thirty in the morning in a dusty Mercedes that he’d stolen five days earlier. It’s the first time they haven’t spoken since they met; no bickering, no simple chit-chat, no bantering or light hearted teasing. Nerves on edge, focus shifting. Her job done, his on the verge of beginning. All the softness is gone; the darkness returning to his eyes, jaw tightly clenched, shoulders tense. Yet the silence is surprisingly comfortable. Companionable, even. And his hand  is still tender when it reaches for hers; lacing their fingers together and then resting their joined hands on his thigh. It’s all about the contact; needing even the smallest and most innocent touch to ground yourself and preserve what’s left of your sanity. And they don’t speak until they’ve reached their destination. Not even while he slips a bullet proof vest over her and then knocks her hands out of the way she attempts to tighten the straps; tending to them himself.

Not a single word uttered until after he takes his face in his hands and kisses her. It’s long and soft and it’s...promising. There’s hope in it. That things are going to go smoothly and they’re both going to make it out of there and then they’ll move on to better days. A hope that he’s found something to hang onto; something..someone..that can remind him of what it's like to feel alive again. Two broken and people that have found each other under the strangest -and most dangerous- circumstances. Who’ve allowed themselves to actually feel something for someone else. The start of a healing process for them both; a road that would be long and hard but hopefully be worth it. And for a brief moment that edge is peeled away; his eyes lightening and his expression softening. Her face still cradled in his hands and his lips against her forehead.

“I’ll see you when I see you.”

It’s the last words he’ll speak until hours later. When everyone who’d come to Dhaka with them is dead and they’re reunited in the back office of a darkened factory. Every plan and every hope rapidly disintegrating and being replaced with fear and worry. Everything going wrong so quickly with no time to catch your breath.

Everything is different. Life is altered. Almost as if those days in that hotel room never actually happened. As if it had been its own dream, wrapped  up in a bigger, more terrifying nightmare.

***

He sits on the back porch with Addie tucked between his thighs and leaning back against him; impossibly tiny against his broad and powerful frame.  A palm pressed against her; keeping her safely and securely in place, the tips of two fingers gently pressed into the bottom of her chin, keeping her head supported.

Being a father has brought out the softer side of him. The Tyler that exists at home a striking contrast to the Tyler he is when on the job.  It’s as if the two share nothing but appearance and voice; assertiveness and aggression replaced by patience and tenderness. One can take a life with his bare hands, the other helps create it. The rough and rugged edges of a former soldier and gun for hire swapped with more gentle and compassionate ones; those that come with being a dad and having innocent, precocious lives completely dependent on you.  He thrives in a domestic role, even when it feels like a struggle to him. Enjoying having other people to take care of. Whether it’s fixing meals or feeding and diapering a baby or doing Millie’s hair or tending to scraped knees and bloody noses.  Hands surprisingly delicate and nimble despite their size and their ability to inflict so much pain and suffering. Even death.

He smiles more. Laughs easily. Eyes not as troubled and haunted despite the deep rooted trauma and tremendous loss he’s suffered.  Even his voice is different; no irritability to his tone, no edge. It’s calm and soft when it needs to be; stern not overly harsh when required. The two Tylers are strikingly different but alike at the same time. Both willing and able to protect what’s his at all costs. Protective and loyal. Capable of ending a life to keep them safe. And never hesitating to offer up his own.

The last few days he’s been teetering on the edge between both personas. Days...moments...when he finds himself -even in a domestic situation when he’s close to the ‘other Tyler’; the one with the quick temper and the rage bubbling just under the surface. Whose eyes are darker and whose tone is harsher; jaw always clenched, finger itching for a trigger. And she notices...when he finds himself on that edge...how he’ll attempt to correct it; the way he closes his eyes and sharply inhales and slowly exhales, how his fists  repeatedly open and close. He hates that side of himself; despises the way it can strip away all his control and turn him into something...someone...he doesn’t want to be. Feeling that they deserve more than ‘that guy’.  Better than ‘that guy’. That one that’s done horrible things to people. As of if the other Tyler is a monster that he needs to keep under lock and key. Afraid that if he makes an appearance, he’ll never leave.

This morning he’s ‘new Tyler’. The one that’s a husband and a father. Whose arms have carried colicky babies as he’s paced the floor for hours in an attempt to soothe them. Whose fallen asleep alongside a teething toddler of feverish child, in a bed that’s way too small for his long, heavy frame. Who has spent Christmas Eve putting together dollhouses and bikes and the following morning has helped build lego sets with way too many pieces. Who’s coached soccer matches and t-ball games and has taken his oldest daughter to dance recitals and martial arts classes. Who never refuses an invitation or finds it hard to say no when asked to play with dolls even if he’s more comfortable getting dirty and sweaty while doing more ‘masculine’ things. Who has fetched a pregnant wife snacks at three in the morning and catered to every weird whim and craving without ever batting an eye or complaining. Who has put his hands and his ears against four baby bumps; eyes lighting up and face practically glowing each time he felt his child move or kick. Who cherishes every moment with his family because he knows just how fleeting they can be. How quickly things can disintegrate and disappear right before your eyes.

As she waits for the coffee to brew and the kettle to boil, she stands at the kitchen window and listens as he talks to Addie. Telling her about being a little boy growing up in Australia and getting up early every morning to watch the sunrise with his mom. How it -along with spending hours on the beach and in the water- was their ‘special time together’. There's both fondness and a profound sadness to his voice. He’d only been nine when his mother died; leaving him alone with his father, left to become nothing more than a punching bag for an alcoholic bully. Some of his physical scars can be attributed to his father; his fists, his belt, anything he could get his hands on to inflict pain and fear and assert dominance and control. But the deepest and most pronounced scars are what’s been left behind mentally. Years of torment and abuse leading to an adulthood filled with bad decisions,  life altering PTSD, substance abuse issues, even a death wish.  Combined with the death of his son -and the horrible choice of leaving him when at his most needy and vulnerable- leading him down a dangerous and unpredictable career path. Not caring if he caught a bullet; precariously close to putting one in his own brain.

A month ago he’d mentioned that his memories of his mother are fading; her face and her voice not as easily recalled anymore. It’s been thirty one years, after all.  A lot has happened the last time he saw her; smiling and waving at him as he watched her through the window of the school bus as it drove away. Four hours later, a police car would show up to take him home; his father already too drunk come for him. It’s the first time -in seven years- he’d talked about his mother while sober. And he’d been devastated that he could vividly remember even the smallest details of her death but not the ones of all the times they’d spent together. He’d cried in a way she’d never seen him cry before. All the pain and loss and regret surging out of him all at once; a broken and defeated little boy inside a grown man’s body. She’d felt so helpless; wishing there was more she could have done than just hold him and stroke his hair and kiss the tears away. Yet thankful he could be that way with her. Trusting her. Allowing himself to be his most vulnerable. His most human.

Just as quick as the talk of his mother began, it’s over. Now he’s telling Addie about when they’d first lived in Australia. When Millie had been her age and they’d settled down just outside of Sydney in a small two bedroom apartment with barely any furniture and hardly any money in the bank. They’d been all but broke, but they’d been happy; they had a roof over their heads and food to put on the table and Millie to concentrate on. They’d spent a lot of time at the beach, putting her feet in the sand and letting her feel the cool, crisp water. Sitting as a family on a blanket and eating snacks brought from home and never once thinking about -or talking about- their previous life. About the job or Dhaka or how things went so wrong but somehow ended up so right. How despite being a ‘huge fuck up’ (in his own words), he’d somehow managed to meet someone incredible. Who had saved his life in every way a person can be saved.

She has to turn away at that point. It’s both overwhelming and humbling to hear that about yourself. To know that someone holds you up on such a high pedestal. That their faith and their trust is THAT strong.  That their love for you is THAT powerful.

“What are you two doing?” she asks, as she carries mugs of coffee and tea out onto the patio.

“Just a little daddy, daughter time. Watching the sunrise. Talking.”

“Does she have a lot to say? Is she taking after her big sister already?”

“No one can talk THAT much.”

“You said you were just like Millie when you were little. Chatty.”

“Yeah. I was. Until I wasn’t.”

She doesn’t poke or prod. He’d become a different person after his mother died. He’d only been a kid when his entire life as he knew had disintegrated before his very eyes; robbed of the only parent who’d ever shown him love and treated him like a human being. He went from a precocious, outgoing and talkative nine year old to being angry and sullen and acting out at school. From having good grades to being held back a year and diagnosed with a learning disability he didn’t even have. From being meek and mild -a pacifist, almost- to kicking the shit out of kids on the playground who he felt wronged him.

“Women love the strong, silent type,” she reasons, then sets the mugs down on the table and rests her hands on his shoulders. Frowning at the tightness in the muscles. “You’re a little tense this morning.”

“I didn’t sleep well.”

“Pain?”

Tyler nods. “Other things too.”

She curls an arm around his neck and presses a kiss to his ear. “Bad dreams?”

“A couple.”

“Do you want to talk about them?”

“Not really.”

“Okay,” she pecks his cheek. “You don’t have to. But if you want to…”

“I know where to find you,” he says with a grin, then turns his face into her and kisses her. “You sleep alright?”

“Better than I thought I would. You want me to take her or are you going to keep hogging her?”

“I told you, I’m getting her on my side. I’ve got to start while she’s young. I need someone to  take up Millie’s place when she betrays me.”

“You need to get a grip,” she tousles the top of his hand then slips into the chair across from him. “She’s only five.”

“She’ll be six in less than a week.”

“And there’s still tons of time left for her to love you and only you. It’s going to be a while before any boy comes along that can possibly take your place. You’ve got at least ten years before she starts dating and you have to sit on the front porch with a gun in your lap.”

“Just so you know, that’s exactly the type of teenage girl dad I’m going to be.”

“I’d expect nothing less from you. Tyler. I knew the second that tech told us it was a girl that you’d be that way.”

“I almost shit my pants when they said it was a girl. A girl? What the hell did I know about raising a girl?”

“It was karma. For being such a manwhore before you met me. Karma gave you a girl so you could spend years worrying about your daughter getting mixed up with the likes of you. Also because karma knew you’d look cute braiding hair and playing Barbies.”

“I swear if you even tell anyone that I do shit like that…”

“Everyone who knows you, lives in this house. They all know what you’re like. And so what if you have different voices for all the different dolls and you can braid hair better than I can. It’s sexy.”

His eyes narrow. Skeptical. “Yeah?”

“A man being a good dad is always sexy. And you’re a great dad. So that means you’re extra sexy.”

He smiles at that, fingers gently combing through Addie’s thick, dark hair.

“Are you okay?” Esme asks, knowing full well that he’s anything but. The darkness is creeping back in; the type of intensity that only the job brings out.

“No,” Tyler admits. “Not really.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“It’s not about what I want you to say. It’s about what YOU want to say. And if you don’t want to say anything right now, that’s okay. I’ve been with you long enough to know NOT to force you into anything. That pushing you will only make things worse. But I’ve been with you long enough to know you hold too much shit inside. Even though you know you don’t have to.”

“It’s just easier this way.”

“Easier for who? I know it’s not easier for you. Because I see how it weighs you down. I see what it does to you; holding so much inside of you.  And please don’t say me. Because I’d rather you tell me and let me carry some of the weight instead of watching what it does to you.”

He nods slowly, processing her words. Her concern. Then lifts Addie to his chest and presses a kiss to her forehead before gently laying her on the blanket spread at his feet. Briefly watching her -a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth- before turning forwards in his seat. “You sleep okay?” he asks, as he reaches for his coffee.

“You already asked me that.”

His hands tightens around the handle on the mug. “What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to tell me what’s going on. What you’re thinking about. Where your head is right now. Because it’s not with me. And it’s not with the kids. Tyler, please. Don’t do this. Don’t shut me out. Because one day I won’t be able to get through to you and that terrifies me. I didn’t lose you to Dhaka and I’m not going to lose you to your own mind.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You’re far from fine.  Our best chance of beating the things messing with is to fight them as a team. We’re stronger together than we are apart. You’ve always said that.”

He nods. “Yeah, I have.”

“Just tell me. Just say something. Anything. We’ll go from there, okay? No matter what it is. Just say the first thing that pops into your head. No how bad you think it is.”

“I’m worried.”

“About what?”

“That I’m not going to make it home.”

“We don’t even know if you’re going anywhere yet. If Saju’s brother will even help you. If he won’t give you the names, you won’t be going to Mumbai. That’s what you saudl. You’re only going IF he helps.”

“There’s another way. If he won’t.”

“No. There are no other ways. It’s this way or no way. That’s what we agreed to. You said you’d only go if he agreed to help you. There was no other way discussed.”

“If I can get into Mahajan’s house…”

“That’s a dumb ass idea and you know it.”

“...if I can get in there, there's bound to be information somewhere. On who he has on his payroll. If I can find it…”

“Okay, no. That isn’t what we agreed to,” she argues. “You said you’d only go if Saju’s brother would give you what you wanted. That’s the only reason I agreed to any of this. Why I said I’d let you go.”

Tyler scowls. “I don’t need your fucking permission.”

“No. You don’t. But you asked me what I wanted and I said I was fine with you doing this ONLY if Saju’s brother came through. I didn’t agree to this other plan. You said you would stay here. With me and the kids. Don’t fucking turn around and back out on me. Don’t you dare do that.”

“Like I’ve done every other time? All the times I’ve done something that pisses you off? Where I’ve disappointed you?”

“I never said. I’ve never once said that.”

“You don’t have to say it. You think I can’t see it? That I don’t see the way you look at me.”

“I don’t look at you in any way.  That’s in YOUR head. Don’t put that on me. I’ve been nothing but supportive of you over the last five years since you went back to the job the first time.  Remember that? When you decided to go back without even talking to me about it? When I was pregnant with your sons? I sucked it up and I stood by you and I was fine with it. And yeah, you’ve made some dumb ass decisions and you’ve pissed me off and you’ve pushed me away. But not once have I ever looked at you with disappointment. Because I’ve never felt that way. I’ve always been proud of you and I’ve always had your back. No matter what. So don’t you fucking dare suggest anything else.”

He scoffs. “And now we’re going to fight? You ask me to tell you what’s wrong and you turn it into a fight.”

“I turned into a fight? You’re the one who gets bent out of shape and pissy and brings out your cheap shots. Don’t fucking talk to me like I’m someone on the job. Or one of your whores you used to have.”

“You’re going to go there? You’re going to stoop that low?”

“I don’t want to stoop at all. You’re the one who reacted. Badly. You’re so on edge and you’re so tense and you’re ready to bite my head off, no matter what I say.”

“Maybe if you didn’t put so much shit on me, I wouldn’t be like this.” Tyler retorts. “If you didn’t keep dumping all kinds of crap on me, maybe I wouldn’t be an asshole.”

“You what?” She sighs and throws her hands up in surrender. “I’m not going there with you. Because you obviously want to fight and I don’t want to. I don’t want to engage with you when you’re like this. So either calm down and talk to me like a rational human being…”

His eyes narrow. “Don’t fucking talk to me like that.”

“Like what? Like a wife? Like someone who loves you and worries about you? You don’t want me talking like that? You’d rather I didn’t give a shit? Would you rather I be like your ex? Because if that’s what you want me to be like…”

“What are you going to do? Cheat on me? Turn my kids against me?”

“Tyler, I’d stop before you say something you can’t take back. And that’s not what you want. That’s not who you are. So do us both a favour and don’t say anything else. I do not want this turning into a huge fight. It doesn’t need to be. I know you’re stressed and I know you’re worried and you’re on edge. But I am NOT the enemy. You think you’d realize that after seven fucking years.”

“When have I ever treated you like that?”

“Other than right now? Lots of times. When are you going to stop trying to push me away? When it finally works? When I finally reach my breaking point and I can’t take it anymore?  When I’m too tired to fight anymore. When you finally manage to get rid of me?”

“That’s not what I want.”

“But that’s what’s going to happen,” Esme insists. “Because everyone has a breaking point. Even me. And you’re going to push and push and one day I won’t be able to take it anymore. And it won’t matter how much I love you. That won’t be enough. I’m already starting to feel like it isn’t. That it isn’t enough for you.”

“It is,” the edge is gone from his voice, replaced with raw emotion. “It is enough.”

“We’re not going to make it if deep down you don’t want to. And sometimes that’s what it feels like. That maybe I’m more invested in this than you are. That you’re just here. But you’d rather be somewhere else.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not true. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I’ve made you my whole life.  My whole existence is you. That isn’t enough for you?”

“It’s always been enough. I never asked to be worshipped and put on the pedestal you’ve put me on. That’s not why I did what I did to save you. I don’t want you to worship me, I want you to love me.”

“I do. You know I do. I love you with everything I am and everything I have. I would do anything for you. I would die for you. I almost did. What more do you want from me?”

“I just want you. I want Tyler. The Tyler that’s sweet and patient and loving and…”

“He’s gone.”

“No. He’s not.”

“As soon as this all started. All this shit with Mahajan. All the threats. He left. And I don’t think he’s coming back.”

“Don’t say that. You’ve thought that before and you were wrong. He always comes back. Always.”

“Not this time. He’s gone. That Tyler’s not coming back.”

“I’ll find him,” she remains adamant. “I found him the first time. I’ll find him again.”

“What if he doesn’t want to be found?”

“It sounds like you’re the one that doesn’t want him to be found. That you’re the one that’s given up.”

“I’m sorry,” his voice is choked with emotion, tears well in his eyes. “That I made your life like this. That I don’t know if I can fix it.”

“I can’t do this with you.” she pushes her chair away from the table and stands. “I love you but I am not doing this right now. Because I have kids to get up and get ready for school and we have Saju’s brother coming. I can not deal with whatever the hell this  is on top of it.”

“I’m sorry. For everything.”

“You have nothing  to be sorry for,” she says, then stands alongside his chair and holds his face in her hands. “You’ve never had anything to be sorry for.”

She kisses him. Long and soft and sweet; the salt of his tears clinging to her lips. And she presses her lips to her forehead before quickly heading for the door and disappearing into the house.

***

He arrives shortly before noon. Accompanied by Allison and stepping out of the backseat of a chauffeured Mercedes. Tall and broad shouldered; crisp black slack and black button down that’s right across his wide chest and around impressive biceps. Stylish. Well put together. An air of confidence without the stench of conceit or accompanying arrogance. Even with his coal black hair cropped shot to his head and a five o’clock shadow gracing his jaw, the resemblance is astonishing.

She’s seen pictures of ‘pre Dhaka’ Saju; Neysa sending her copies of old photos through email. Of him during his special forces days and when they’d gotten married. Tall and handsome; soulful dark eyes and a kind face. A far cry from the Saju that she’d gotten to know; the man that tried to pull off the impossible in an effort to save his family. It’s the eyes that she remembers the most.  How they’d stared down at her while he’d had her pinned to the forest floor; a boot on her chest to keep her in place, the muzzle of his rifle pressed against her forehead. His finger had been on the trigger but he’d hesitated; looking down at her with eyes filled with so much pain and regret.  A man haunted by the choices he had to make and the lives he had to take; faced with no other options. He could have killed her. He SHOULD have killed her. But instead he’d walked away; never saying a word but curling a hand around her bicep and helping her to her feet before disappearing into the woods.

The next day he’d given his life for hers. And Ovi’s. Battling to the bitter end to get them safely across the Sultana Kamal Bridge.

The last to be introduced, she freezes when he takes one of her hands in both of his; unable to reciprocate when he presses a kiss to one cheek, then the other.

“I’m sorry,” she says, and he regards her with warm, kind eyes. “I just...I can’t...just wow.”

His smile is soft. Reassuring. “The resemblance is uncanny, I realize. I’ve been told as much my entire life. Ever since I was a child I’ve been told how much I look like him. And how much I sound like him, as an adult. I’m sure it’s a little unsettling for you.”

“A little,” Esme admits. “That last time I saw your brother was seven years ago. On the bridge. Now it’s like he’s standing right in front of me.”

“You were the last one to see him. Alive?”

“We both were,” she reaches for Ovi’s hand and pulls him to her side. “We were together. We saw that happened. HOW it happened. I’m sorry. That he even got dragged into that mess. He was a good man. A brave man.”

“He killed your friends. Your team. He was supposed to kill you.” He glances at Tyler. “Both of you.”

“He did what he had to do to save his family.” she reasons. “Tyler and I would both do the same thing to protect our family. He died protecting me. Trying to get me across the bridge. And he didn’t even know me.”

Anil takes her hand once again, squeezing softly. “I wasn’t surprised to hear that he spared you. It was never in his nature to hurt a woman. To nurture, yes. But never to hurt. There was no way he ever could have pulled that trigger. Not even under the most desperate of circumstances.”

They retreat to the living room and she takes a seat on the couch; nervously rubbing the palms of her hands along her thighs, watching as Tyler and Anil stand side by side at the patio door. The latter passing compliments on the house and property and the stunning view; commenting how he’d always wanted to visit Australia. That he and Saju had planned to do it one day. Perhaps when they were both old enough to retire and could both appreciate and enjoy the downtime. Only they’d never gotten the chance.

Tyler is more relaxed; his face softer, eyes not as dark. Shoulders less tense and his tone no longer harsh or irritable. They’d made up after the kids had gone to school and Ovi had taken Declan swimming while Addie napped. A brief, intense argument that somehow transferred into a rational, heartfelt conversation, which led to love making. Their favorite way of coping; a much needed escape from all the worry and the fear of an unpredictable and dangerous situation.  She couldn’t remember the last time it had been THAT slow and gentle. When his hands and his kisses and the way he moved inside of her had been that tender and loving. Accompanied by whispered apologies and promises; tears trickling down her face as she desperately clung to him during the aftermath. Wondering how they could be that close yet feel so far apart.

But his smile is genuine when he sits down beside her. The side of his thigh pressing against hers; his hand on the small of her back as he places a kiss to her temple. And she gives a smile of her own, her palm against his knee as she leans into him; forehead resting against his cheek. It’s comforting; his mere presence beside her. The warmth of his body, his familiar smell, the weight of his hand as it slides along her lower back and comes to rest on her hip.  She needs this. The simple contact. Just having him next to her; knowing that no matter what, he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe.

“By now I’m sure you know all that there is to know about me,” Anil begins, as he takes a seat across from them, giving Ovi a smile of appreciation when he pours him a cup of coffee from the carafe that sits on the coffee table. “And about my business. In the same way I know all about the two of you. Quite the predicament you found yourselves in. Alongside my brother.”

Tyler gives a small, dry laugh.  “That’s putting it lightly.”

“Quite the thing to bring two people together. That kind of danger AND a near death experience.  There must be quite a bond. Between the two of you. Surviving something like that together.”

“I like to think there is,” Esme says, and Tyler gives a small smile and nod and presses a kiss to the side of her head.

“I’m  definitely a lucky guy. She’s stuck by me. On the bridge. And through the last seven years. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve put her through a lot.”

She gives his knee a squeeze. “But not as much as you think.”

“And five children?” Anil asks. “That’s quite the accomplishment. For a  man who should have died on that bridge.”

“Only thing worthwhile I have accomplished,” Tyler says. “They’re all that matters to me. My wife and my kids. That’s  my entire world right there. They’re why I contacted you. Why I need your help. To keep them safe.”

Anil nods, then leans forward in his seat, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together. “You realize that what you’re asking for, if it gets into the wrong hands,  it will only make things worse. Put even bigger targets on their backs. That I should tell you it’s foolish and that I don’t make a habit out of leading men to their graves.”

“You have every  reason to tell me to fuck off and mind my business,” Tyler counters. “That I should just let you and your people handle everything. But I think you realize that I’m not just going to sit back and wait for shit to go down. That I’m not going to let them get close to my family. That I’ll find a way to stop them, with or without you. Although without you might make your job harder. What with me going around and ruffling feathers in Mumbai.”

“It actually would hamper things,” Anil agrees.

“I also know you wouldn’t come here just to tell me to fuck off. So why are you here? Why come all this way?”

“Some things are better discussed in person,” Anil reasons.

“What kind of things?”

“I can give you what you want. What you need. But I want some things in return. From you.”

Tyler arches a brow. “Which are?”

“I want to take part. In your little mission. As you know, I have extensive experience. With special forces. And my own business.”

“You’re a merc?”

Anil shrugs. “You can say I dabble in it, from time to time. If needed. Sometimes we can’t find outside help. I’d like to offer my service. I have my own reasons for wanting revenge against Mahajan. And revenge is a powerful motivator. I want to avenge my brother. What better way than with the blood of his executioner on my hands. He sent Saju to his death. I want to send him to his.”

“You want to kill him?” Ovi speaks up. “My father?”

“Your father is not a good man. He deserves death. For what he’s done to others. And I want to be the one to give it to him. For Saju.”

Ovi opens his mouth to speak once again, but all words fail him and he rushes from the room, slamming the patio door closed behind him.

“I’ll go,” Allison offers.

“No. I will,” Esme says. “This discussion is out of my pay grade. I’m just here as the wife and the business partner. Anything else there is to know, Tyler can tell me.”

He nods, then presses a chaste kiss to her lips before she hurries after Ovi.

“It’s hard to hear,” Anil sighs.. “That your father is a monster.”

“He knows who and what his father is,” Tyler says. “It’s just not easy to sit across from the man who wants to kill him. It’s still his father. Regardless of how crappy a father he is. So you want in? You want to help?”

“I think you could use the help. Someone with my experience. I know if he were alive and you asked him, Saju wouldn’t hesitate to help you. Just like he didn’t hesitate in Dhaka. Even though he was supposed to kill you.”

“I’ve got other guys going with me. But having you would be a hell of a lot of help. Especially if you can take out Mahajan.”

“It would be my pleasure to help. And to kill him. I want nothing more than to watch him take his last breath.”

“What’s the second thing?” Tyler asks.

“It’s a business proposition. I’ve read your file. I’ve heard all the stories. Both true and rumour. I could use someone like you. You’ve started your own mercenary business?”

Tyler nods.

“Like I said, we often have a hard time finding mercenaries. My brother trusted you. Enough to put his mission aside and to work with you to get Ovi safely home. That’s all the confidence I need. I want you...your business...to partner with me. I want you to provide me...when needed...with mercenaries to get jobs done.”

“You want me to supply the guys.”

“And whatever your guys need, if they don’t already have, I can get for them. No problems there. I would reward them, and you, very handsomely. Not to mention I’d offer a very substantial donation to help get your operation off the ground. Is this something you’d be interested in? I can show you the numbers I’ve already come up with.”

“I don’t know if…”

“Let me show you,” Anil waves Allison over, and she opens the briefcase in her hand and removes a leather bound folder. “I was bold and went and drew something up. If you’d be so inclined as to indulge me.”

Tyler nods, then takes the folder and flips it open.

The first number you see, that would be my initial investment. So to speak. Think of it as a donation. A gift. Six point five million dollars. US. To guarantee that your business will supply me, on demand, with what it needs.”

“That’s…” Tyler’s eyes widen. “...generous…”

“Not nearly as much as I think you deserve. But it’s a start. There can always be more. Your children will never want for anything. Their entire lives. The next page is what I’m willing to pay for each man you can give me. Along with their salary.”

Tyler flips over the page, shaking his head at the numbers printed before him.  “This is serious? This is what you’re willing to give me? Give them?”

“A hundred and twenty five thousand to you, per man that you give me. That’s too little?”

“No. It’s...I don’t  even know what to say…”

“Seventy five thousand dollars per man plus travel and spending allowance. If the job is done to my satisfaction and in the time I allot, another twenty five thousand for them. If it’s too little, I can juggle the numbers and…”

“No. It’s enough. It’s more than enough.”

“I’m a generous man. Life has been good to me. Financially speaking. I’d like it to be good for you as well. And good for your children. They have long lives ahead of them. I’d like to make sure they’re well taken care of. And then some. Is this something perhaps you could agree on? Going into business with me?”

“I’d have to talk to my wife. We’re in this together. I can’t make any decisions without her. I’ve done that too much. I’ve learned my lesson.”

“I’d expect nothing less. It’s a partnership, no? In both marriage and business. I can understand the need to speak with her. I’ll be in town until Friday.  If perhaps we could meet Thursday evening? Over dinner? The four of us?”

Tyler nods. “We could do that.”

“I hear you're taking a trip. With your wife. I have men I can put here. To work alongside the ones you already have. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“Consider it done. I’ll have them contact you tomorrow.  And this is yours…” he motions for Allison to open the briefcase once again, and he removes a standard file folder from inside and holds it out to Tyler. “...to read, just for now, if you wish. Not to be used unless we come to an agreement. These are the men you want. I trust you won’t go after them until you talk to me.”

“I’m not going anywhere until after my daughter’s birthday party next weekend, so…”

“Excellent, I look forward to chatting with you more. I have some stories of my brother I’d love to share. I’ve exhausted all my other audiences.”

“I’d like to hear them.”

“He was a good man. You’re a lot alike. In more ways than one. I must go,” Anil stands. “It was a long flight and I’d like to get some rest. I’ll be in touch.”

Tyler accompanies him to the door, then steps out onto the front porch just as the Mercedes returns and parks at the end of the driveway.

“You’re a lucky man,” Anil says, and claps him on the shoulder. “You survived. And you have a beautiful wife and a beautiful family. Don’t take it for granted. I did. Don’t make the same mistakes as me.”

“I won’t,” he promises, and then shakes the hand offered to him.

“Try not to let them inside your head.” Anil calls to him as he heads for the car. “They get into your head? That’s when they’ve won.”

Tyler nods, absentmindedly tapping the folder against the palm of his hand. Shoulders tense and jaw clenched as he watches the Mercedes drive away.

[razberryyum]

Positive Things about Guardian as a series (spoilers)

So I’ve been pretty harsh about the production team behind Guardian (writers, directors, set designers, wardrobe, the crew…including the extras…basically anyone who are not Bai Yu, Zhu Yilong, the actors who played Old Chu, Little Guo and Zhu Hong, who are Jiang Ming Yang, Xin Peng and  Gao Yu Er, respectively) and about the quality of the show as a whole when it doesn’t involve our main characters/leads, and I’ve actually been feeling bad about that now that the initial sense of shock has worn off a little. As a result, I woke up this morning and decided to make a list of all things that are GOOD about the show. Now, I am still hurting about how it ended and the things that went wrong which imho could have easily NOT (f.e. the 10,000 years dirt nap), but…BUT I will try my best NOT to let that negativity seep into this. 

So here goes, in no particular order, the positive things about the show:

- the show even exists. I mean, really, God bless, especially considering where it’s made. How did that even happen?? Despite all my bitching, I still marvel (almost DAILY so far) at the fact that Guardian exists and I got to watch it cuz China could’ve easily never put it back online. 

- the existence of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. But that’s pretty much a given. Especially since my life is forever changed because of them.

- every Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan scene together. That’s a given also. I would not be surprised if the writers literally used all their meager talent and energy on constructing those moments so that’s why they didn’t have much juice left for everything else. I mean, that’s a good thing, right? Kinda.

- they got Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong to play Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. I really hope the two actors got compensated well for their performances, though somehow I doubt it, especially since, from what I understand ZYL (omg I just stupidly realized the acronym for his name is the same as Zhao Yunlan’s. Wtf that is so cute!) was still very slowly rising in the ranks. But hopefully their current popularity as a result of the show has made up for it.

- the score and songs. Bought the OST from iTunes like one or two episodes in, loved the score and themes. I even bought Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong’s duet “Time of Flight” a few times (different platforms, different devices) cuz I just wanted to contribute to them…even though…who knows if they even see a cent from it, and pretty sure my few measly dollars probably isn’t helping anything. Probably just makes me seem stupid and insane. 

- the cute episode titles. Which I wasn’t even aware of until @avenuex123 pointed it out. Adorable.

- the censorship. Ok, censorship is never good imo, but in this singular case, perhaps because there were existing restrictions on the BL subject matter, the actors therefore were willing to sign on since they knew they didn’t have to do anything explicit (or maybe they would’ve been willing, this is just my own stupid assumption because of how Chinese society is…I say that as an Asian American with many…erm…”old-fashioned” friends and family members) AND they probably saw it as challenge to find creative ways to convey the nature of the characters while working within the confines of censorship laws. Although, this might be a case of me just trying to look on the bright side.

- the easter eggs. I agree with fellow Guardian fans who have pointed out that there was some love put into the making of this show, which is clearly exemplified in the small momentos scattered throughout the series. 

- the time travel concept. Not that the delve into the past was done well because I did have problems with it, but I did really appreciate the fact that Zhao Yunlan was the one and only all along due to his being sucked up into the wormhole and spit back out 10,000 years in the past to meet Shen Wei for the first time. I thought it was a tremendously romantic idea…even if the general execution of the past left a lot to be desired. I promised that I wouldn’t be negative, but I still have to say that while love at first sight is a lovely notion, it was still a bit hard to swallow that SW would fall SOOOO head over heels with ZYL after just conversing with him for like a few hours, to the point that he would pine for him for 10,000 years (though it’s probably technically more like a few decades due to his dirt nap, but I’ll buy it felt like 10K years to him). I just wish ZYL spent more time in the past with SW, and actually @xparrot‘s fic (”Now Lie In It" on AO3) made me feel a LOT better about the whole thing since they successfully fixed the problem by awesomely separating each scene we saw into days and years. But I did like the time travel idea; it was cool, even though it’s different from the novel.

- the nature of the necklace. I really liked the candy wrapper core. Broke my heart into bits and pieces in a GOOD way. Really loved everything about it. I understand it’s different in the novel as well, but in the context of the changes done for the show, I thought that was a pretty brilliant move. 

-  the Da Qing and ZYL ownership scene in episode 35 with SW listening. Loved that scene and the multiple purposes it was serving: establishing Da Qing’s relationship with ZYL, giving voice to how SW was feeling about ZYL leaving,   inspiring SW with the necklace idea, and then of course, the censorship workaround because it was like very homo while being nohomo at the same time. 

- SW and ZYL’s wardrobe. Probably a given since the fact that I love them means I love everything about them, but, like, SW even looked good as the Black Cloak Envoy and ZYL as Kunlun and those outfits (and their hairstyles) could’ve gone wrong so easily…thank God no one thought it was a good idea to make them wear a stupid looking afro wig or feathers on their heads.

- Old Chu/Little Guo. They were adorable, my second OTP from the show, and I was seriously jealous of all the PDA they were getting away with.

- recurring characters. Even though some of their acting abilities were highly questionable, I did appreciate how certain characters introduced in the beginning of the show would pop up again later on. I’m sure a good part of that was to save on hiring more people, but I still thought it was neat. For example, I wasn’t too fond of the merit brush dude (cuz his story was dumb and draggy), but I did like how this innocuous store owner that was little more than a background character at the start eventually became one of the villains. 

-  Ye Zun. He’s so CUTE. I mean, ok, Zhu Yilong playing him helped, but just seriously, his character is so fucked up and misguided and emo and adorable that I just wanted to give him a big hug all the time. When that shitty cockatoo he calls “Boss”** started smacking him around, I wanted to reach into the screen and throttle that ugly POS. I wouldn’t even be surprised if that asshole more than physically abused Ye Zun. Anyway, I just felt bad for the little puppy. I wish we got to spend more time with him and that he got redeemed earlier so that he could enjoy some love and hugs before being led into the wormhole (or…wherever it was that his big bro was heading off with him…wait, would it be the wormhole? But they died, right? So technically it should be like the reincarnation hole?) **(btw, why “Boss”? Why not “Leader”? Are the head villains paying their henchmen to follow them? So weird that they call their leaders “boss” which would imply they’re being paid wages which I truly doubt is the case)

- Da Qing. He’s a cutie too. Really wish the kitty girl had lived so that he wouldn’t be all alone, now that ZYL is gone. I guess Tech boy Lin Jing is going to take care of him now?  

- Zhu Hong. When she wasn’t inexplicably screaming her dialogue, I did like her…but a huge part of that is probably because I remember the actress from Yanxi Palace (she was playing a small villainous role but she did a good job) and I felt sorry for her. Putting the unrequited love aside, it must also be tough seeing ZYL now and yet knowing that’s not even the same guy she loves at all. Damn, that actually must be so unsettling for everyone who knew the old ZYL. 

-  the personality swap episode (ep 25). THAT was freaking adorable. Just wish it lasted longer and that eventually it affected SW and ZYL. Although, since they already eye-fuck each other like 99% of the time, what would be different? I guess SW would be a little looser…and ZYL would be a bit more sad and pining-er? (Btw, I literally never heard of the word “microexpressions” until Zhu Yilong entered my life). Omg, an image of them switching outfits just popped into my head. Oh shit, that would’ve been FUN to see. Dammit.

That’s all I could come up with for now…I’ll probably add more as I think of more things. Please feel free to contribute if you think of positive things I’ve left out. I might not agree but I’d still love to hear them.

[acradaunt]

Etrian Odyssey Nexus Playthrough - Week 1

I thought it would be a fun idea to record weekly my progress through EO Nexus. Why? I enjoy reading people's experiences where multiple options are available; what they chose, and why, and how exactly that turned out for them. It's something this EO has more than ever before, and it's such a central concept to my own work on DR, so in its own way, it's research. And since there is a need for people to have 100 QR codes, it serves a purpose there, too.

I'll try ultra-hard to avoid any form of spoilers, so expect me to be vague as hell about stratum or FOE names. To make the most of all these fun class options (and the extremely early Memory Conch), I'm rotating characters around as I see fit, but mostly in accordance with when conditionals are needed or interesting weapons are available. I mean, that kind of class-switching has been the norm for things like Final Fantasy since III, so why not do it here? Between these two things, I'm going to be writing about how characters are faring and where they shone, rather than going on about each stratum.

Couple general notes before character remarks; I'm playing on Expert (which is the norm for EO), and I just punched into the fifth stratum. On that, things are really coming together, as I'm now seeing enemies from three different regions of III and IV at the same time. Lush Woodlands was so aggressively a carbon-copy of its EOIV incarnation it made me really worried. Those fears seems fairly quashed at this point. Also, um, character remarks in Read More, because they're actually kinda long.

Imperial / Arcanist / Harbinger / Shogun / War Magus / Nightseeker - None of these have seen any use yet. Of 19 classes, some just might not fit in a first playthrough. The first three definitely'll show once subclasses come along, but right now aren't super-appealing for various reasons; Imperial's ridiculous TP requirements make it sound like a non-starter in early game, I don't trust turn-end heals when most random battles last 1-3 turns, and, well, I feel it'd be wrong to use my #1 Harbinger without also bringing along a certain Dragoon (Hero) and Masuaro (Ronin). That debuffer role has also lowkey been stolen by Landsknecht, of all things.

Klein the Hero - Klein has been absolutely devastating in random battles, but has generally floundered during bosses and FOEs, with Hero mostly being about multi-target attacks and a bit of a TP-hog. After netting the 3rd stratum boss' weapon, his damage output has been fairly ridiculous, and Shock Strike is nothing short of amazing. He's definitely not going anywhere, but I wouldn't say he's irreplaceable, either; that sword's nutso damage is innately amazing in anyone's hands. In a lot of ways, Hero is a remix of Dragoon, and while I definitely didn't like Dragoon at first, it grew on me quite a lot.

Iris the Protector - Iris came in strong against the 2nd stratum boss, and only got better with that boss' weapon able to shoot cheap line-piercing Fire attacks that could sweep most of the 3rd stratum. Ultimately, circumstances made her not very appealing for the 4th stratum, and I haven't seen any remarkable new spears, so she's mostly waiting for that. Or a Boss/FOE where Taunting is effective to return to the forefront.

Terra the Highlander - Terra was off-and-on for the early part of the game, trading said spear with Iris as was convenient. Veteran Skills haven't been particularly kind to her, but Master or Subclasses might still change that. She's certainly strong and sturdy enough to handle the frontline, and there's something to be said about how tricky it is to shatter a three-person front-row that doesn't need to rely on Protectors.

Stella the Zodiac - One of my starting five, Stella repeatedly died in one shot in the 1st stratum and burnt through TP way too fast, and performed similarly poorly in a brief stint in the 3rd stratum. I considered bringing her on again for a specific FOE, but ultimately didn't. After Warlock's same-turn Charge and Runemaster's Runes, this class just feels tremendously disappointing.

Coral the Landsknecht - Easily the most all-around reliable, if never the shining star. Extremely burly and with a diverse array of skills at hand, she's always useful. Primarily though, she shield bashes to cripple foes with Debuffs then Links away when they can't possibly do enough damage to kill anyone.

Erika the Ronin - Absolutely the core damage dealer for the 2nd's Boss and the 3rd stratum, primarily due to an incredibly good Katana you get midway through the 2nd Stratum. She was all about Air Blades from the back-row, then dashing to the front-row to regain her stance, drop offenses, or go for a strong arm-bind. It's a really fun class, all around. However, getting caught by a single good attack, even when in the back, is usually a death sentence for her, so it's a bit tricky, too. That said, she still came through big-time in both the 2nd and 3rd Strata Bosses, which were more endurance matches and about conserving TP more than anything, so there's something to say about that.

Laura the Medic - Not a ton to say here. Medics heal and revive; lifesavers when things get hairy during FOEs/Bosses. What is no joke is her Star Drop's ability to ruin defenses. Like Erika, she did occasional row-switching when things were safe. Not something you'd expect from a Medic. During initial planning, she was gonna be a Medic/Landsknecht, for high-speed Star Drops, but Star Drop is a normal debuff now, not a one-turn affair like it was, so I'm not too sure what her endgoal is anymore. I'm considering swapping her for Adam, who's designed to be a Medic/Zodiac, so I would at least have SOME form of normal mage (not to mention cheaper TP for heals via Free Energy). Laura's a dumbass though, and I love her for that, and right now, the Medic is hitting stuff in her free time, not casting, so she fits the bill better right now, especially as conserving TP is still a huge deal. STILL can't buy Amritas.

Juri the Survivalist - Probably the overall MVP for the first four strata. Blinding Arrow was vital against most Lush Woodlands FOEs/Bosses, and doubling all harvesting for a single skill point is nothing to scoff at. Add in cheap on-field healing, and she was good enough to kick Laura out for the whole 3rd stratum (until FOE/boss time). She's definitely starting to feel like she's falling off, though. Veteran added some nice moves for random encounters, but Master skills sound very lackluster, with only Disabling Shot sounding appealing (though Disabling Shot [Add Leg Bind to ALL Bow Skills] is VERY appealing). Master's still a long ways off though.

Yai the Pugilist - Yai wound up coming in for some conditional-drop hunting near the end of the 3rd Stratum, and with another great fist from a FOE on the World Map (making it a... WOE? MOE?), has stayed around off-and-on since then. Binds can always completely swing the flow of a fight, but they're not super-reliable, and she suffers from Erika's frailty, with none of the row-swapping tricks to keep her alive. She isn't terrible, but she's failing to live up to her EOV self. That said, she actually combos amazingly with Coral this time, as opposed to last time where she was the only one who DIDN'T play into Coral's pierce-a-thon.

Olga the Gunner & Leon the Sovereign - Neither have seen significant use but bear mention. When Bind conditionals first came up, it was an immediate coin-toss between getting Olga or Yai ready. Yai won because the current array of Guns failed to impress. However, with Yai's questionable performance and Juri's waning damage, a solid Gun could easily make Olga a mainstay. Leon, likewise, is basically waiting for more Skill Points and a weapon with a decent Skill to use to come in on. Leon definitely hasn't felt as sturdy as he did in III, which is also holding him back a bit, as I'd prefer him to be a part of the front-row wall-of-steel. Still, using the same gear as Klein and Klein's own iffy performance against bosses means he'll probably push through for the 5th or maybe 6th's Stratum bosses.

Kagura the Ninja - Brought in for a bit during the 4th stratum, when I was wondering if I was overlevelled, as upon first arriving, I was seeing yellow FOEs. I don't think I was. She actually served pretty decently in random encounters, essentially being able to mass-sleep an entire wave of enemies, which came in major handy, as the 4th just loves throwing 4+ enemies at you at once. Having her mother's (now retconned to being her sister, I guess) badass Katana to swap to definitely eased her entry into the group. Not material for FOEs, though; her overall damage output remained quite poor.

Kahna the Landsknecht - It's no secret that I'm a huge sucker for Landy's Links and especially Fencer's Chains as a primary form of team synergy. I'm seriously considering the possibility of running TWO Landsknechts; Coral on Shield Bashing debuff duty, and Kahna as a high-speed Linker. Truth is, Coral spends so much time with the shield keeping foes down, she has little time to lift herself up, and Landsknecht has no shortage of damage buffs, to boot.

[ask-prof-foxglove]

THE SQUAD

Finally, finally, everyone stood still long enough for a group photo!!! (thanks to our dear photographer)

This is my main work team, the ones that help me around the facility and out on excursions. They're not the only ones, of course, I regularly swap them out depending on the assignment,

AXEL THE HAXORUS

This fella is a young haxorus I raised from an axew during my own journey as a wee teen. He serves as my protection and guard and has always endeavoured too ever since he was young. Speaking of, he used to be much more rowdy, but ever since his evolution during The Incident™, he has taken on a much more mature disposition as the team leader.

QUAILLY THE SYVLEON

Another original 'mon I picked up during the Alola route, she's a tanky little bugger who's always down to play. An espeon at Hau'Oli city had a litter and while the other eevees had gotten rehomed, she hadn't. At 18 and with two other circuits under my belt, they trusted me with her. A real powerhouse, she serves the dual role of guidance [with her sensitive ribbon-like feelers] and protector. The only difficult thing with her is that her white fur turns brown with mud after every damn outing.

GROUSE JR. THE GROWLITHE

THE SON. THE BOY. THE CHILD. IT IS HIM. Grouse Jr. is the son of my original Aracnine and first pokemon ever, Grouse! Grouse was with me for all three journeys I did [Unova, Kalos, Alola] and during my studies at Uni. However, I could feel my buddy getting a little bored and looking towards the new horizon. Thus he retired back to my parents growlithe breeding operation and sired a couple of litters, hence Grouse Jr. Y'all know Jr. A well-trained helper pokemon that's as dedicated as I am to caring for creatures and matches my own energy levels with equal excitement!

ENOKI THE BRELOOM

Enoki is a darling that was given to me upon my arrival hear as I had not trained a dedicated stun locker beforehand. She's a real sweetheart that's always worrying over others. Equipped with stun spore and other useful tactics, she does well with calming raging wilds and will serve as a wonderful mentor and partner to Skim Milk.

KEILEI THE FROSSLASS

Never before have I met such an arrogant and snotty pokemon before, and all of it deserved. She's quite the strong battler and amazing judge of character, always garnering a laugh with her antics and body language. She came to me as a neurotic snorunt, the kind that only comes from the worst of people. Through a difficult, and arduous journey of healing, she has managed to grow into a wonderful Froslass who helps out tremendously with helping others of a similar nature. No surprise when she bonded with Skim Milk almost immediately.

SKIM MILK THE SKITTY

The most recent addition, Skim Milk has a tremendous fear of people. Or well, had, to an extent. I've managed to garner favour with her so I think she's progressing well since, because of that fear, we won't be able to rehome her. Can't release her either, as she is a domestic skitty. Thusly, I'd think she'd work well as a calmer on my team, with sing and what not. That is, if she feels up to it. She seems to enjoy sleeping nearby in the sun alongside Enoki and takes a particular interest in bee-related pokemon [I wonder if there's for-pokemon honey?] Here's to hoping how she turns out!

[robininthelabyrinth]

savitar/lisa/barry 51 and 43?

43.Dance of Romance  51.Accidentally Married

Okay, for some reason I’m imagining Savitar and Barry as twins, both dancers, and I have an image of them dancing a sexy jealousy tango-ballet routine with Lisa in the middle as the love interest.

Them being twins was always their shtick ever since they were kids - perfect copies of each other moving in perfect mirrored time - ‎and after Savitar’s car accident that left his face horribly burned on one side (but thank god didn’t affect his legs or balance), they kept it up, with Savitar playing the evil twin more often than not.

It causes some tension - where before they could swap roles, no one knowing better, now they’re recognizable, and in most dance roles the villain is done by a less talented dancer, giving Savitar a stain on his reputation despite the fact that he and Barry are equally talented - and they’ve never really worked well with anyone after the accident.

At least, until they meet Lisa.

They are fully prepared to hate working with her: the Golden Gilder, infamous as a diva well aware of the fact that she’s known as the finest dancer of her generation.

Except she is the finest dancer of her generation, and more than that, she’s from Central City, like them, which they didn’t know, and she greets them as compatriots. She works hard and she plays hard and she coaxes finer performances out of them than they even knew they were capable of. She forces directors to give them roles that are worthy of them, of both of them, and their reputation soars.

Sure, she’s a diva. But she’s magnificent, and that makes up for it.

Really, it’s almost not a surprise when she falls into bed with them.

(It is a bit of a surprise that she picks Savitar first, but Barry is delighted by Savitar getting the respect he deserves.)

Even her brother Len and his partner Mick‎ - they gave Lisa her start, and visit often - approve of them.

They even drag the lot of them with them to the local Pride parade, where Lisa and Barry and Savitar all hurt their wrists signing autographs - and petitions - and congratulations cards - and really any piece of paper put in front of them, they stopped paying attention after a while.

Including, as they belatedly discover, a marriage certificate by someone who was Definitely Not Dressed Appropriately but who was doing quickie marriages regardless‎ - Lisa signed on one side, and Savitar and Barry squeezed their signatures in on the other, which is technically illegal but is in no way stopping Lisa from changing her last name to Allen and enjoying her new married status tremendously.

(The media is in a frenzy for months trying to figure out which Allen she married. Eventually they tell them it’s Savitar, but between the three of them, they don’t really care.)